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Jan 1, 2002 12:00 PM

Tony Ray Sansing of Houston TX was indicted Oct 26, 2001, on charges of conspiracy and eight counts of violating the Clean Water Act (CWA), according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sansing, who was supervisor at Western Towing Co's barge cleaning facility in Houston, was charged with conspiracy to violate the CWA, discharging inadequately processed waste water into the San Jacinto River, manipulating laboratory samples, and making false representations in monitoring reports to the state agency.

If convicted, Sansing faces maximum penalties of up to five years imprisonment on the conspiracy charge, up to three years imprisonment on the illegal discharge count, and up to two years imprisonment on each of the sample manipulation and false reporting charges. He also faces a maximum fine of up to $250,000 on each count.

The case was investigated by the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Houston Police Department's Environmental Investigations Unit. It is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office in Houston. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.