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DA files Pollution charges Firms in Stockton, Tracy face fines By Hugh Wright The Stockton Record Criminal pollution charges have been filed against the owner of a Stockton cir- coit-board manufacturing company, the Earth Grains Bakery in Stockton and i Holly Sugar Co.of Tracy. . Arthur Smith, owner of R.V. Circuitsq / p 916 S.Center St.,has been hit with a civil .S46 C K4wt- 4e C v2 � ;;Z lawsuit demanding$750,000 as well as a misdemeanor criminal charge of illegally d DUMPING ditch leading to Duck Creek. The disposing of hazardous waste, punishable lawsuit seeks$750,000 damages. by a year in jail and a fine ranging from iR.V. Circuits also was sued by Continued from B-t $5,000 to $250,000. He is scheduled for °' " the district attorney's office in arraignment Feb. 15. dirt over it. 1988 on similar allegations. As a Smith could not be reached for com- result, the firm's previous owners, ment Thur, R.V. Circuits' exec- The allegations, against Earth Raymond and Betty Vasquez,paid utive vice president, R.C. Tupa%said the ; g g :$7,500 in a settlement and Smith, `lawsuit is "ridiculous" because the firm Grains are that ,waste,oil was who had just bought the business, .' has been working with authorities:to.cor- dumped from the bakery at 2651 agreed to obey an injunction bar- rect problems. S. Airport Way into-a drainage ring further pollution,Brown said. "I don't see any violations. I think- we're doing a good job," said Tupas,who is a defendant in the lawsuit along with. Smith and Celso Tupas, vice president of production. The suit, filed by Deputy District At- torney Lisa F. Brown, alleges that corm- sives and heavy metals used to making printed circuit boards were illegally dumped into the city sewer system, and 'employees have not been adequately € trained in hazardous waste management. The criminal charges against Earth Grains and Holly Sugar are against the corporations,: not any individuals, so no jail time is involved although the fines could be as much as$250,000. . Earth Grains is scheduled for arraign- ment Feb. 20 in Stockton Municipal- Court. Holly Sugar's arraignment will be Feb. 19 in Tracy Municipal Court. t "We were taken by surprise," said Wil If liam Schwer, vice president of Imperial Holly .Corp. .of Sugarland,.Texas, and general counsel of Imperial Holly 'and Holly Sugar Corp. Schwer declined,fur- !E ther comment. t Brown said about too gallons of diesel fuel spilled on the ground when a storage- tank valve broke at Holly, and plant offi- cials failed to report the spill as required and tried to conceal it by dumping See DUMPING,B-a