Water pollution is a common occurrence that happens both intentionally and unintentionally. Chemicals spilled in bodies of water are toxic to both the environment and human health.
Contractors Braden Lance and Jeremy Oliver repeatedly disposed of oil field wastewater in a small pond in northeastern Utah. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the men were hired to dump the waste in a disposal facility in Wyoming. Reportedly, they cut corners to pocket money and avoid the long drive to the assigned dump site.
The oil, hydraulic fluid, grease, sand, and mud in the wastewater gave off a chemical odor and killed plants surrounding the lake. Both offenders were charged with "third-degree felony counts of 'unlawful discharge of pollutants,'" per The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Salt Lake Tribune also shared the news on its Instagram account.
The graphic quotes Brent Kasza, a Utah Trust Lands Administration special agent who was astounded by this crime against human health, natural ecosystems, and aquatic animals.
"The sheer quantity of the pollution was beyond anything I've ever seen as an investigator," he said.
Pollutants such as oil and hydraulic fluid in bodies of water pose a significant threat to public health and drinking water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Oil waste in aquatic spaces impacts the food chain, which can, in turn, damage human food sources. The contractors responsible for the overwhelming damage to the Utah pond failed to consider the consequences not only for plants and animals in the area but also for people.
One review reported on the consequences of oil exposure on the human body. It compiled a group of studies and found that exposure to pollutants spilled in bodies of water can impact individuals' nervous system, skin, and mental health.
Appalled by Lance's and Oliver's crimes, members of the public commented on The Salt Lake Tribune's social post.
One person angrily joked, "Charge them to the full extent of the law, then make them drink it."
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All the time 💯 Another commented, "Sickening."
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