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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFederal prosecutors have charged a third man with environmental violations alleging a waste oil treatment company altered reports on the wastewater it was dumping into Indianapolis' sewer system.
Fifty-one-year-old Joseph Biggio of Chicago was charged Thursday with two counts of violating the Clean Water Act and one count of making false statements.
Prosecutors say Biggio was executive vice president of operations from 2001 through 2007 at Ecological Systems Inc. Prosecutors say he authorized employees to report only the most favorable wastewater test results to the city to reduce the amount the company would owe for discharging into sewers.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Gayle L. Helart, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Biggio faces a maximum of three years in prison for each violation of the Clean Water Act and a maximum of five years in prison for making false statements on the monthly reports.
Biggio also faces a fine of either $250,000 for each of the three felonies, or up to $50,000 per day of violation for the Clean Water Act violations fine. An initial hearing will be scheduled before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
In February 2010, Michael Milem and Mark Snow were also charged. Their cases are pending in district court.
The Associated Press left phone and e-mail messages with Biggio's attorney Jennifer Lukemeyer.
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