(Sioux City, IA) — A former member of the city council in Sioux City has been ordered to pay a four million dollar fine for committing what a federal prosecutor calls “environmental crimes.” Forty-seven-year-old Aaron Rochester of Sioux City ran businesses that promised to recycle electronic components. In 2018, the State of Iowa filed a lawsuit against Rochester, accusing him of illegally storing 12 million pounds of hazardous waste in Sioux City and another four-and-a-half million pounds of waste at sites in Nebraska. It was mainly the leaded glass from televisions and computer monitors, according to court records. A Special Agent for the E-P-A says Rochester’s disregard for the laws governing how to properly handle hazardous waste posed a significant risk to nearby communities. In March of this year, Rochester pleaded guilty in federal court.
