Office of Criminal Enforcement...
The Surfside member seeking the truth, has supplied me with a document received today, dated Feb. 13, 2019 from the E$PA Criminal Division, in regards to requested information on individuals and the association under the Freedom of Information Act. (FOIA)
In part, the letter states that release of "such law enforcement records or information could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings".
In addition, it also states "it is the policy of EPA to neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of responsive records pertaining to individuals that may or may not be connected to a criminal investigation".
The letter and statements contained in it, clearly indicate an ongoing investigation at the present time. The reply letter indicates that the member was seeking information on individuals as well as the association. Once formal charges are made or other action is taken by the EPA or other agencies, it will become public record. This member, myself and others will be watching for release of public records and making them further public here and elsewhere.
Thank you to this member for keeping us in the loop on what is really happening.
18 comments:
Please explain what is actually new here. Yes, an investigation is going on which was pretty clear even before today. Even the board had said as much at the meetings. What did you all expect them to say? Did you really think that they were going to tell all to some Joe Blow contacting them out of the blue?
This has been discussed ad nauseam here and will continue until it is done, which we all agree can't come soon enough.
I want to do something. I want to take action. I don't blindly believe anything I hear. I seek to verify the truth. You can attack me all you want. You make your own decisions. I make mine.
Keep attacking, I know you will.
Thank you to the blog master and the member who are searching for the truth and sharing it with the rest of us. The board provides nothing but a cover up.
Here is what is actually new here. We knew the EPA was looking at SHOA for possible regulatory violations, but we didn’t know it now a criminal investigation.
The member who submitted the FOIA request concerned EPA Region 10’s field investigation of SHOA’s regulatory non-compliance. The response received back from Region stated that the investigation is now in the hands of the Office of Criminal Enforcement, which indicates the EPA is treating the non-compliance as a criminal action. Accidental or inadvertent regulatory non-compliance would result in SHOA being ordered to take corrective action and pay assessed fines. The involvement of Criminal Enforcement indicates the agency intends to do more than merely levy fines and is at least considering the filing of criminal charges. Note that corporations can’t be sent to jail; it is the people who run them who are prosecuted. The member who is looking out for the Members is to be commended for seeking out information our BOT is withholding from us. This member has shared the official correspondence with me, also.
It's going to be very disappointing to most here on this blog when they don't find anyone criminally culpable of anything.
Why doess 8:05 want so bad for no criminal charges to be brought? Hate to think i was interviewed for nothing. Those exposed to asbestos might think differant.
why do you think that a criminal act was done to you 924. Is it possible that anything that may have happened to you was done w/out criminal malice?
Daddy used to say "ignorance of the law is no excuse". And those in charge were stupid, not ignorant.
There is also such a thing as criminal negligence.
There is also such a thing as criminal recklessness.
There is no basis for the comment by 8:05. The Blog has been the only source of information regarding the massive mess Surfside has created for itself, then the Observer followed with their article.
So this is also the only source of owner comments regarding what we know, and what the HOA refuses to even acknowledge as fact. They are spending member funds on legal efforts which have not been outlined to the membership, and we know that mid November, $27,000 in member funds were paid out to State L&I to pay fines related tp the various Water Dept. screw-ups.
Certainly no one in this community would have expected incompetence by the HOA on so many issues and to such an extraordinary extent, and there really isn't an excuse to WISH for criminal charges, when our community has been put in such jeopardy. I think we can assume that vast amounts of our assessments and dues have already been spent, and more to come, due to the phenomenal breakdown of oversight and proper management.
It seems doubtful that successful prosecution of anyone a part of the Surfside HOA, would have benefit to our community, and more likely to damage the community's reputation and cost the membership money that we are in no position to be pissing away.
We collectively want to get answers that are refused to us by the Board, and want to see justice done as is seen appropriate by the Judicial System. The fact that the mistakes being investigated were fully understood to be illegal - improper handling of asbestos over a period of years, building adjacent to Wetlands without proper permits, failing to follow Federal protocol in providing employee protection, safety meetings, and safe procedures - begs the question of why, when the consequences are dire on several levels.
There is also such a thing as not telling the truth to a Federal investigator. There is also such a thing as jail.
You are the one who's going to be disappointed when your buddies end up in the clink.
Let's start with criminal conspiracy, and go from there.
The only Trustee that I know is Larry Raymer, and I don't know him well. He's a good guy. I have no connection to anyone else on the BOT, and feel that Williams and Flood need to get the boot. But why wish for criminal prosecution of anyone when we don't know the results of the investigations ?
It's the responsibility of the membership and the Board to take a serious look at all that has happened, and take appropriate action. Is the new pipe from the same company as the Filter Plant ? If so, maybe some have been "on the take". Flood has certainly been a stranger for the last year or so.
It does seem unlikely the Board is going to make any adjustments without the members demanding it, and allowing the same people to continue, while refusing to publicly take ownership of the situation is unacceptable. Their attorneys advice to stay quiet is strictly about their self-preservation, which should not be a concern if they have nothing to hide.
I expect answers, apologies, and solid plans to make the needed corrections that would have prevented these things from happening in the first place. The BOT is, instead, choosing to cruise and fain "no responsibility". That is b.s..
Clearly, they have a lot to hide. It sounds like for the last ten years worth.
They need to investigate North Beach Water and the multi million dollar company that Bill Neal owns, called Arcadia Well Drilling in Shelton Washington. Google it and see for yourself.
Lol, looks like we should hire them, oh yeah, we did. Kinda.
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