Subject: Lab Officials Jailed for Falsifying Environmental Data---- To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov> Dear Mr. Helliker,
I thought you might like to read an article entitled: LAB
OFFICIALS JAILED FOR FALSIFYING ENVIRONMENTAL DATA. PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, November 24, 2000 (ENS)
- A federal judge has imposed fines and jail time on two men who were
convicted of falsifying environmental testing results. Both men worked
for Hydro-Analysis Associates, a private sector environmental testing
laboratory located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Robert Spare, who served
as the company's laboratory director, was sentenced to 18 months in
prison and three years of probation. Randy Haring, the company's
president, was sentenced to six months house arrest and five years of
probation. The corporation, which has now been dissolved, was sentenced
to a $500,000 fine. The three defendants were also found to be jointly
and individually liable for $481,073 restitution to be paid to defrauded
clients. The defendants previously pleaded guilty to several criminal
violations. "The public depends on environmental
laboratories to be honest and accurate in their testing to let us know
that the air, water and land are safe and free of contamination,"
said Bradley Campbell, regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). "This
case sends a clear signal that we will not hesitate to prosecute
companies and individuals who abuse the public trust." An
investigation conducted by federal and state officials uncovered
evidence that the Hydro-Analysis performed fraudulent analysis of
drinking water, wastewater, and soil between 1994 and 1998. Haring,
Spare, and the company pleaded guilty to falsely representing to
customers that they were using proper laboratory testing instruments,
equipment and EPA certified testing methods. The EPA is working with the
company's former customers to address concerns about suspect test data,
retesting, and possible restitution claims under federal victims'
protection statutes. This is the third successful prosecution of
environmental lab fraud since 1997. All have resulted in closure of the
labs and prison terms for company officials. Well Mr. Helliker, How many of the active
ingredients in your "registered" POISONS do you think, have
falsified and/or misleading and/or inaccurate data?
Of course even if all of the "tests" of the active
ingredients were truthful and accurate, we will never know about the
real dangers your "registered" POISONS present, because of all
the untested/unknown "inerts", contaminants, metabolites,
transformation by-products and/or synergistic health effects.
The "tested" active ingredients may only make up less
than 1% of the POISON"s ingredients. When we find out 20 -30 years
from now the true dangers we were forced to endure - who do you feel
should be held responsible? |
