PORT DEPOSIT MAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL DISCHARGE OF OIL AND FAILURE TO REPORT THE DISCHARGE TO AUTHORITIES

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that Robert Lee Evans, 35, of the 400 block of Jackson Park Road, Port Deposit, Maryland has been charged in the Circuit Court for Cecil County with illegally discharging oil in an area likely to pollute waters of the state and failing to report the discharge of oil. The charges allege that Evans violated the State’s Water Pollution laws on March 6, 2005 by illegally discharging oil and water from a tank trailer onto various roadways in the Elkton area of Cecil County and by failing to report the incident immediately to the Maryland Department of the Environment.

If convicted of illegally discharging oil, Evans could be sentenced to one year in prison and/or fined $50,000. If convicted of illegally failing to report the discharge of oil, Evans could be sentenced to one year in prison and/or fined $50,000. The filing of charges is merely an accusation of criminal wrongdoing and each individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

These charges follow a joint investigation conducted by the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Office of the Attorney General and the Maryland State Police with the assistance of the Maryland Department of Environment’s Emergency Response Division. Arraignment for Evans has been set for July 27, 2005 in Elkton.

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