Seligman wastewater operator pleads guilty to pumping lagoon into field
July 22, 2015
Charlea Mills
Former Seligman wastewater operator Tony Amos was pled guilty in court last week after pumping the city’s lagoon into a field in early January.
Amos, an employee of the City for almost ten years, was charged on May 1 with class A misdemeanor of the unlawful discharge of water contaminants from a water contaminant or point source. Amos was reported to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources after City Clerk Brian Nichols and two aldermen on city council went to tour the city’s wastewater lagoon regarding the sprinkler system on January 20. Nichols confirmed that Amos was placed on suspension on February 9 following the decision by the City Council.
Nichols also confirmed that he was instructed by the council to report the incident to DNR.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Amos was interviewed by DNR on February 26 and admitted to pumping approximately 1,889,970 gallons of wastewater from the city’s no discharge lagoon into a field between February 3 and February 6. Amos never disclosed the information to DNR following his actions.
Amos admitted to also pumping approximately 63,210 gallons of wastewater from an emergency discharge which he knew would leech into a Big Sugar Creek tributary.
Amos was officially terminated by the Seligman City Council on February 9 at their regular meeting.
Amos pled guilty to the charge on July 14 and was ordered to pay a $300 fine plus court costs for his actions.
The City of Seligman has not hired a replacement for Amos as Nichols and current employee Wayne Persons are both certified wastewater operators.
According to the DNR website, Amos’s two certifications are still valid and have not been revoked. When asked about his status, Director of Communications Tom Bashton stated, “The department notified Mr. Amos of the pending revocation July 20. Mr. Amos has until August 20 to submit any information he wants considered in the pending action.”
Charlea Mills
Former Seligman wastewater operator Tony Amos was pled guilty in court last week after pumping the city’s lagoon into a field in early January.
Amos, an employee of the City for almost ten years, was charged on May 1 with class A misdemeanor of the unlawful discharge of water contaminants from a water contaminant or point source. Amos was reported to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources after City Clerk Brian Nichols and two aldermen on city council went to tour the city’s wastewater lagoon regarding the sprinkler system on January 20. Nichols confirmed that Amos was placed on suspension on February 9 following the decision by the City Council.
Nichols also confirmed that he was instructed by the council to report the incident to DNR.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Amos was interviewed by DNR on February 26 and admitted to pumping approximately 1,889,970 gallons of wastewater from the city’s no discharge lagoon into a field between February 3 and February 6. Amos never disclosed the information to DNR following his actions.
Amos admitted to also pumping approximately 63,210 gallons of wastewater from an emergency discharge which he knew would leech into a Big Sugar Creek tributary.
Amos was officially terminated by the Seligman City Council on February 9 at their regular meeting.
Amos pled guilty to the charge on July 14 and was ordered to pay a $300 fine plus court costs for his actions.
The City of Seligman has not hired a replacement for Amos as Nichols and current employee Wayne Persons are both certified wastewater operators.
According to the DNR website, Amos’s two certifications are still valid and have not been revoked. When asked about his status, Director of Communications Tom Bashton stated, “The department notified Mr. Amos of the pending revocation July 20. Mr. Amos has until August 20 to submit any information he wants considered in the pending action.”
