Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 07/28/05

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Larry Scoufos Deputy District Attorney: Jeffrey W. Holtzman

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

SUSPENDED JAIL, FINE & RESTITUTION IN CHLORINE SPILL CASE

Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that the owner of a Santa Rosa pool services company pled no contest to violating the state’s water pollution laws. Daniel Callison, the owner, was sentenced to a 30 day suspended jail term, ordered to pay $28,000 in fines and restitution and placed on probation for one year. The misdemeanor prosecution was initiated after 100 gallons of diluted chlorine overflowed from the Santa Rosa Northbay Pool Supply’s holding tank on November 17, 2004. The spill ran into a storm drain and into nearby Piner Creek. Over 100 small fish and other riparian life were killed or harmed as a result of the incident.

The spill resulted from a defective overflow valve. The lack of company personnel to monitor the tank flow was a contributing factor.

District Attorney Passalacqua stated, “Protecting our urban streams from preventable toxic spills is a matter of great importance to our community. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement and resource agencies to hold accountable those who fail to exercise proper care with the public’s natural resources.”

Several local and state agencies promptly responded to the incident and took measures to limit and assess the damage to Piner Creek. Responding agencies included Santa Rosa Police, Fire and Public Works, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and the California Department of Fish and Game. Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey W. Holtzman was the prosecutor assigned to the case.