Opinion ID: 2615021
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Conviction in Federal Court [1]

Text: Respondent Douglas G. Hoflin (Respondent) was Director of Public Works for the City of Ocean Shores (City) from 1975 to 1980, when he left for personal reasons. He returned as acting director in 1982 and again became Director in 1983. His responsibilities as Director included supervising the maintenance of roads and operation of a sewage facility. In 1983, he directed his subordinates to bury 14 55-gallon drums of road surface paint at the sewage treatment plant over objections of the plant director, Fred Carey. As the drums were being buried, at least one burst open and several were crushed. In 1984, three truckloads of kitchen sludge from the City's golf course restaurant were delivered to the sewage treatment facility for burial. Mr. Carey refused to accept delivery, but Respondent Hoflin ordered him to do so. The sludge was then dumped into a depression in the ground and covered with dirt. In 1985, Mr. Carey reported these incidents to state officials, who, in turn, notified the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. By this time, some of the paint buried in 1983 had leaked into the soil. A federal grand jury indicted Respondent Hoflin for the felony of disposing of a hazardous waste (the paint) without obtaining a permit; [2] the felony of conspiracy to dispose of hazardous waste without obtaining a permit; [3] and the misdemeanor of disposing of the kitchen sludge. [4] A jury in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington acquitted Respondent of the conspiracy charge, but found him guilty of the other two counts in January 1986. [5] The court suspended imposition of sentence and placed Respondent Hoflin on probation for 2 years. The convictions were affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1989. [6]