Attorney General's News Release

May 31, 2006

Raytown man pleads guilty to disposing oil and gasoline into city's sewer system

Kansas City, Mo. — A Raytown man who operated a lawnmower repair business has pleaded guilty to disposing gasoline and oil by pouring them into the city's sanitary sewer system after charges were brought against him by Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Louis Mattoon pleaded guilty on Tuesday (May 30) to the misdemeanor of Introduction of Pollutants into a Sanitary Sewer System in Jackson County Circuit Court and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and ordered to pay a fine of $2,500. Judge Henry C. Copeland ordered a Suspended Execution of Sentence and placed the defendant on one year of probation. Mattoon was also ordered to pay $1,350 in clean up costs to the city of Raytown and $753 to the Department of Natural Resources to cover the response costs of those agencies.

On May 4, 2005 the Raytown Fire Department responded to a call that gasoline vapors were in a private residence in Raytown. An investigation by the department and the city of Raytown found residue and a strong odor of gasoline in the city's sanitary sewer system with the source being traced to the defendant's lawnmower repair shop. The clean-up of the sewer system cost the city of Raytown approximately $1,350. After initially denying involvement, Mattoon admitted disposing of the oil and grease into the sewer system in December 2005.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

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