The owner of a New Hampshire mustard and vinegar manufacturing company was recently fined over $1.5 million and sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for illegally dumping contaminated wastewater into the Souhegan River near Greenville. Charles Santich, 60, and his Old Dutch Vinegar & Mustard Company pleaded guilty to knowingly discharging a pollutant without a permit, thus violating the Clean Water Act.
Court documents showed that Santich intentionally evaded wastewater monitoring that was required by federal and state authorities by installing a concealed pipe through which acidic wastewater and stormwater was routed to the river. Further, Santich submitted false documents to federal regulators and hampered investigation efforts by the EPA, whose toxicologist testified that the wastewater likely contributed to a mercury fish consumption advisory.
