Barge owner could face five years in prison over river pollution.
The owner of a derelict barge that leaked oil into the Columbia River and triggered a $20 million cleanup has been charged with two felonies, the U.S. Attorney’s Western Washington district announced Thursday.
A federal grand jury indicted Bret A. Simpson of Ellensburg on charges of unlawful discharge and failure to report — both violations of the Clean Water Act. He could face up to five years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines if convicted.
After purchasing the 430-foot barge Davy Crockett in 2010, federal prosecutors allege that Simpson attempted to scrap the vessel without first removing thousands of gallons of oil and fuel he knew was on board. The vessel began to break in early December, leaking oil into the Columbia River, according to the indictment.
Simpson, who owns Principle Metals LLC, halted the scrapping operation, according to the indictment, but never reported the leak to federal authorities. In January, river debris caused the converted World War II Liberty Ship to buckle even more, partially sink and release additional oil and pollutants into the river.
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