Man Gets 18 Months For Dumping Brick-Washing Water

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler says a Baltimore man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for leaving two barrels of brick-washing wastewater in an empty lot.

Gansler's office said Monday that Richard Fox Jr., 40, pleaded guilty in Baltimore Circuit Court to improper disposal and abandonment of a controlled hazardous substance. Fox was sentenced to five years with all but 18 months suspended. Circuit Judge Emmanuel Brown also sentenced Fox to two years supervised probation.

Gansler's office says Fox was an employee of a contractor and agreed to dispose of the barrels for money. The attorney general says brick-washing often removes lead paint, and the water used in washing must be properly disposed of to avoid releasing toxic waste into the environment.

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