Attorney General’s Office secures guilty plea, restitution, and $10,000 donation in Arvada criminal pollution case
March 8, 2022 (DENVER)—Rapid Wire, LLC, a business that does directional drilling for underground utilities, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal pollution for discharging fluids from work sites into a storm drain in Arvada that leads to Clear Creek, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced today.
On Nov. 5, 2020, the stormwater administrator for the city of Arvada informed the Colorado Attorney General’s Office about a report from a resident who saw trucks belonging to Rapid Wire discharging liquid along the Sheridan Boulevard frontage road in Arvada. The resident observed the discharge into the storm drain on Oct. 28, 2020. The stormwater administrator previously issued a compliance advisory to Rapid Wire in November of 2019 for illegal discharge in the same area.
Attorney General Phil Weiser said his office was prepared to bring charges against Rapid Wire under HB20-1143, legislation the state legislature enacted in 2020 to enhance penalties for those that violate the clean water provisions of the law.
“Protecting our water is a top priority for my office. This is the first environmental crimes case the office has prosecuted because of the enhanced penalties the state legislature enacted in 2020. We will hold those accountable who knowingly pollute our waters,” Attorney General Weiser said.
The owner of Rapid Wire, Steve Faria, pleaded on behalf of the company on March 7 in Jefferson County District Court. In the agreement, Rapid Wire, LLC pleaded guilty to one count of Criminal Pollution (F5). As part of the plea, Rapid Wire paid a $10,000 donation to the Colorado Watershed Assembly and paid $2,747.40 in restitution to cover the costs of the testing and the cleanup of the dumping sites.
Additionally, the plea agreement requires that Rapid Wire forfeit its municipal general contractor license for the city of Arvada, and the company is prohibited from doing any work as a general contractor with the city or within the city of Arvada. The company may reapply for a municipal general contractor license in the future; however, the city of Arvada will not guarantee approval of the application. Rapid Wire may be a subcontractor for a different licensed general contractor within the city, but must disclose its name, scope of work and involvement as a subcontractor on the licensed general contractor’s permit for the work.
The case is People v. Rapid Wire, LLC and the case number is 22CR190.
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