The former CEO of a New London pharmaceutical firm that knowingly discharged wastewater without a permit into the public sewage system has plead guilty to violating the U.S. Clean Water Act.
Thomas Faria, former CEO and president of Faria Limited, faces up to three years in prison and a $50,000 per day fine when his sentencing takes place on Oct. 6. Since the discharges went on with Faria’s knowledge for more than eight years, the maximum fine is about $150 million, although the judge could decide on a considerably smaller amount.
From 1986 to 2011, Faria Limited – doing business as Sheffield Pharmaceuticals, maker of creams, ointment, and toothpastes – regularly discharged its wastewater into the New London public system without a permit, in violation of the Clean Water Act. The company did not treat the waste before dumping it into the system or make reports to the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection about the discharges.
When Faria took over as CEO in 2003, his workers urged him to get the permit, but he declined to do so upon realizing the costly upgrades that must be made to the company’s wastewater equipment. The discharges continued until 2011 when DEEP officials made an unannounced inspection.
The company since has made upgrades to its treatment system and obtained the proper permitting.
Faria resigned as CEO of the company on March 7, and as part of his guilty plea, he can have no role in the operations or management of the firm.
Jeffrey Davis, Sheffield’s chief operating officer, said in an email Tuesday evening that Faria made a poor decision.
“We are remorseful about this past infraction,” Davis wrote. “Our company has been under new management and rectified the wastewater discharge in 2011. We are 1000% committed to obeying all environmental and legal regulations.”
