A smart window company operating in Mississippi has been fined nearly $5 million by a federal judge for negligently discharging wastewater into a city sewer system without a proper permit for nearly three years.
View Inc. is headquartered in California, but has a facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi, where it discharges some 248,000 gallons of wastewater per day into the sewer system from glass-cutting, grinding, washing and polishing windows with auto-tint features designed to lower energy costs for buildings.
Corporate leaders previously pleaded guilty to the charge of negligently discharging wastewater into a Publicly Owned Treatment Works without making an application for and obtaining a valid state permit.
Prosecutors say the illegal discharges endangered residents in the Mississippi communities.
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“When companies place profit and convenience above public safety, we will do all we can to punish that behavior and protect the public,” announced U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner, in a statement. “This illegal discharge of wastewater into the public treatment facility demonstrated a blatant disregard for the safety and wellbeing of citizens in our District and we applaud the stiff fines imposed by the court in this case,” he added.
View Inc. has recently faced a number of internal struggles ranging from charges of financial misconduct, to a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, followed by tough financial hits after taking the company public.
In addition to the fines, U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced the company to a three-year term of probation.
