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LAB OFFICIALS JAILED FOR FALSIFYING ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
http://ens-news.com/ens/nov2000/2000L-11-24-09.html

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, November 24, 2000 (ENS) - A federal judge has imposed fines and jail time on two men who were convicted of falsifying environmental testing results. Both men worked for Hydro-Analysis Associates, a private sector environmental testing laboratory located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Robert Spare, who served as the company's laboratory director, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of probation. Randy Haring, the company's president, was sentenced to six months house arrest and five years of probation. The corporation, which has now been dissolved, was sentenced to a $500,000 fine. The three defendants were also found to be jointly and individually liable for $481,073 restitution to be paid to defrauded clients. The defendants previously pleaded guilty to several criminal violations.

"The public depends on environmental laboratories to be honest and accurate in their testing to let us know that the air, water and land are safe and free of contamination," said Bradley Campbell, regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "This case sends a clear signal that we will not hesitate to prosecute companies and individuals who abuse the public trust." An investigation conducted by federal and state officials uncovered evidence that the Hydro-Analysis performed fraudulent analysis of drinking water, wastewater, and soil between 1994 and 1998. Haring, Spare, and the company pleaded guilty to falsely representing to customers that they were using proper laboratory testing instruments, equipment and EPA certified testing methods. The EPA is working with the company's former customers to address concerns about suspect test data, retesting, and possible restitution claims under federal victims' protection statutes. This is the third successful prosecution of environmental lab fraud since 1997. All have resulted in closure of the labs and prison terms for company officials.