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> MC Sanitary District raided by Federal officers
Southsider2k12
post Jun 3 2010, 07:33 AM
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A caller in to WIMS just said that both entrances are blocked by state police cars to the SD right now. More info to follow as it becomes available.
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Ang
post Jun 3 2010, 08:04 AM
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The EPA is there and the area is cordoned off. Oooooohhhhhh.......

The sh!# is going to hit the fan at the Sanitary District (pun intended! laugh.gif )


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Southsider2k12
post Jun 3 2010, 08:18 AM
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QUOTE(Ang @ Jun 3 2010, 09:04 AM) *

The EPA is there and the area is cordoned off. Oooooohhhhhh.......

The sh!# is going to hit the fan at the Sanitary District (pun intended! laugh.gif )


Yeah, I drove by and took pictures I am downloading now. There are federal officials there for sure, as I could see some guys standing outside with the blue federal jackets, one of them with his agency on the back of it. Both ways in are blocked off, one by a state trooper, and the other by an unmarked blue Dodge Charger. The latest from WIMS is that OSHA, EPA, and Hazmat are there, both from federal and state agencies.
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Southsider2k12
post Jun 3 2010, 08:31 AM
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QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Jun 3 2010, 09:18 AM) *

Yeah, I drove by and took pictures I am downloading now. There are federal officials there for sure, as I could see some guys standing outside with the blue federal jackets, one of them with his agency on the back of it. Both ways in are blocked off, one by a state trooper, and the other by an unmarked blue Dodge Charger. The latest from WIMS is that OSHA, EPA, and Hazmat are there, both from federal and state agencies.


Per Brian Brophy at WIMS, a Federal Agent in charge confirmed that a raid is taking place looking for violations of "environmental issues" at the Sanitary District as we speak. The agent told Brophy that they planned on being there all day today.

Here are the three pictures I got earlier.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4105...3874&ref=mf
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Ang
post Jun 3 2010, 08:37 AM
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WEFM just reported they are from the criminal division of the EPA and have a federal search warrant.

I am seeing a mental image from a scene in the movie Airplane where the poo goes through the fan and hits the wall.......


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Southsider2k12
post Jun 3 2010, 10:02 AM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/0...50539593287.txt

QUOTE
EPA investigators search Sanitary District

Published: Thursday, June 3, 2010 10:25 AM CDT
Dave Hawk

MICHIGAN CITY — Federal agents swarmed the Michigan City Sanitary District premises Thursday morning searching for evidence of “environmental crimes.”

Randall Ashe, special agent in charge for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago, said at the District’s gate, “We are executing a search warrant on the Michigan City Sanitary District looking for evidence of environmental crimes.” He said he couldn’t elaborate on the search or investigation, referring questions to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana in Hammond. A message left there wasn’t immediately returned.

Tina Tabisz, administrative assistant at the Sanitary District, reached by telephone, said neither General Manager Al Walus nor anyone else was available.

Indiana State Police parked their police cars at the two entrances to the Sanitary District property on East Eighth Street, controlling access to the premises to prevent any disruptions as the agents performed their search. Ashe said a reporter would not be allowed to enter.

Ashe said 25 or 30 agents were involved in the effort, including EPA law enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard and Indiana State Police.

He said the agents were seeking documents and “samples” in carrying out the search, and that he expected the investigators to be there most of Thursday.

The treatment plant was not shut down and is continuing operations, he said.

The Sanitary District recently has been investigated by the Indiana Department of Labor for possible whistleblower retaliation against District employee Ron Meer, who lost his job after being accused of going to state officials with his concerns about job safety at the plant, rather than going through the chain of command.

The state Department of Environmental Management also has looked into several sanitary sewer overflows over the last several months, but until now, there has been no indication of “environmental crimes.”

Mayor Chuck Oberlie said this morning he was surprised that the agents were at the Sanitary District, and that he had had no contact with General Manager Walus or anyone else at the district Thursday morning.

Asked what might have prompted an investigation into an environmental crime, he said, “At this point, I don’t know. I’m not sure what an environmental crime is. I know an EPA team was in here a couple of weeks ago and everything went well.”

Oberlie said that EPA officials periodically are at the Sanitary District to review records.

Asked to comment on the situtation, he said, “The proper role is to let investigators do what are here to do, and don’t weigh in to the issues til you know what they are.”
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Tom Burns
post Jun 3 2010, 10:59 AM
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Generally in cases such as this the state passes on complaints to the feds. I have no knowledge of this case, but in the past that generally happens. I guess I am surprised that MC leadership in surprised. If they find that an employee was discharged for blowing the whistle, there will be severe measures taken. I believe I indicated earlier one of my sons-in-law hears such cases as an administrative judge in another federal agency.
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Southsider2k12
post Jun 3 2010, 12:36 PM
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As of 1:30 the Feds are still there, and the entrances are still blocked by the state police.
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post Jun 3 2010, 03:59 PM
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QUOTE(Ang @ Jun 3 2010, 09:37 AM) *

WEFM just reported they are from the criminal division of the EPA and have a federal search warrant.

I am seeing a mental image from a scene in the movie Airplane where the poo goes through the fan and hits the wall.......


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Southsider2k12
post Jun 3 2010, 06:37 PM
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This story was the lead story on WSBT tonight, complete with talking to Ron Meer, and Al Walus not calling them back.
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IndyTransplant
post Jun 4 2010, 09:18 AM
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Unfortunately it was also on the Indianapolis stations and in newspapers in other cities far beyond that. Not only has Michigan City suffered environmentally, but now will suffer with an additional black eye on our reputation and at the worst time...the beginning of our tourist season in an already depressed economy.

It is long past time for residents to stop complaining to each other and unite to stand against allowing this type of chicanery and abuse of power.

Questions for those of you who are longer term residents and know the city workings well....
What in your opinions are our most effective causes of actions to stop this type of thing?
How can the power of the people in Michigan City be channeled to stop the abuse of power evident here? Obviously the voting booth is not powerful enough here (or used by the majority of residents) and in this case is not even effective.

Of course the above questions are only applicable if you can find a way to get the MC residents to actually take the time to unite and stand against the abuse and chicanery. Although I am still a fairly new resident, from what I have seen and heard, I am afraid that is the biggest challenge of all.....and that is the very reason this type of thing occurs and continues to occur.


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Southsider2k12
post Jun 4 2010, 12:09 PM
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For those keeping score at home, this story has made it as the lead story in South Bend, as well as into the Indy and Chicago papers...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-...0,4428002.story

QUOTE
nd. Fed-state raid aimed at environmental crimes

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. —
Federal and state agents have raided the offices of the Michigan City Sanitary District looking for evidence of environmental crimes.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Special Agency Randall Ashe says agents from his agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, Indiana State Police and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management executed a federal search warrant Thursday and confiscated documents and computers.

Ashe says they were looking for evidence of environmental crimes.

The Post-Tribune of Merrillvile is quoting unnamed sources as saying the investigation involves unreported sewer overflows and the firing of a whistleblower.

A message seeking comment was left Friday for the district's general manager, Al Walus (WALL-us).
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Southsider2k12
post Jun 4 2010, 12:12 PM
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http://www.post-trib.com/news/2352578,new-mcraid0604.article

QUOTE
Feds seize records in hunt for enviro crimes
Comments

June 4, 2010
BY GITTE LAASBY, (219) 648-2183

MICHIGAN CITY -- Agents from state and federal agencies raided the Michigan City Sanitary District Thursday looking for evidence of environmental crimes.

Sources told the Post-Tribune the investigation involves several years of unreported sewer overflows -- including some into Trail Creek -- and the firing of the whistleblower who tipped off the government.

Federal investigators leave the J.B. Gifford Wastewater Treatment Facility on Thursday in Michigan City with boxes of items after serving a search warrant.
(Michael McArdle/Post-Tribune)


Randall Ashe, a special agent in charge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's criminal enforcement division in Chicago confirmed that agents from the EPA, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Indiana State Police helped execute a search warrant from morning until late afternoon Thursday, carrying out documents and computers. Sources said as many as 25-30 agents participated in the raid.

"We executed the search warrant this morning. It's a federal search warrant on the Michigan City Sanitary District looking for evidence of environmental crimes," Ashe said. "I'm not going to deny that I've got 25 or 30 agents out here and I can't deny an investigation."

Feds were tight-lipped about the reason for the investigation but indicated it may relate to unreported overflows.

A memorandum from the Michigan City Clerk in May 2009 states there were "alleged sewer overflows in Washington Park" and that the city's utilities committee met to review what had been done to address the problem and whether IDEM was properly notified.

"I can't tell you if it's related but that's probably good information," EPA's Ashe said.

Former Michigan City Sanitary District employee and current City Councilman Ron Meer first contacted the city council, IDEM and EPA about safety problems and unreported overflows in early May 2009.

"He didn't know at the time if they were reporting overflows and clearly they were not," said Councilman Phil Jankowski, who chairs the city's utility committee. "They won these national and state awards and they weren't reporting stuff."

A worker told the Post-Tribune manholes popped up in Washington Park only 10-15 feet from Trail Creek numerous times as a result of overflows. Workers told the Post-Tribune there were "dozens and dozens of overflows" and cleanups after overflows, but said the district only reported a few over a decade. Indiana law mandates that the district report overflows to IDEM and the public. Sources estimated the violations went unreported from about 2002 through mid-2009.

"Basically, there would be overflows either at the plant or out at various basements with floods," Jankowski said. "A significant one was along the harbor when, instead of vacuuming it up, when having a sewer overflow, they'd just hose it down into the harbor. They knew about it for many many years. People in the city water department knew about it, the sanitary district knew about it."

Jankowski is a long-time critic of Sanitary District General Manager Al Walus, whom he says has "a history of denial and failure to report and trying to hide what was going on."

"The fact he chose to hide it rather than address the issue is clearly where the problem is," Jankowski said. "This Washington Park thing, instead of getting a plan in place, a financial plan in place, they played games for over a year."

IDEM conducted several inspections and found a number of serious violations every time, he said.

He said Meer provided investigators with pictures of the overflows, and employees at the city's water department verified there had been overflows.

Meer confirmed that he's involved with two whistleblower cases, one with the Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration and one with the federal equivalent and the EPA.

City personnel director Shelley Dunleavy said Meer worked at the treatment plant from July 1990 until he was fired March 31 this year after a suspension. Jankowski said Meer was fired for bringing the violations to IDEM and the IOSHA.

The district started reporting overflows in May 2009 after Meer brought it to IDEM's attention. IDEM records on overflows were not available, but sources said the district reported about 18 overflows since then. That's after the city recently separated many sewers, which generally leads to fewer overflows.

The city council still had unresolved issues with the sanitary district as of its May 18 meeting.

"I don't think we ever got the answers we were looking for from the sanitary district," Jankowski said. "I think it's been mismanaged for years down there. Walus was basically a political appointee of the mayor. He never worked for a sanitary district. He didn't meet the requirements of the job."

Walus, who was appointed by the previous mayor, Sheila Brillson, was recognized by the Environmental Education Association of Indiana for excellence in environmental education in 2009 for a three-week water quality education program for Michigan City Area Schools students.

"He was working on wetlands with schools instead of correcting the significant problems they had (and) hiding these overflows from the public," Jankowski said.

Walus was at the plant Thursday, according to his secretary, but did not return a call for comment.
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Southsider2k12
post Jun 5 2010, 07:22 AM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/0...6f421840567.txt

QUOTE
Details few on EPA probe

By Alicia Ebaugh
Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, June 5, 2010 4:12 AM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Federal, state and local officials are remaining tight-lipped on why the Environmental Protection Agency served a search warrant Thursday on the Michigan City Sanitary District concerning “environmental crimes,” but Mayor Chuck Oberlie said Friday he believes the City Council’s Utilities Committee forwarded information to the agency it thought deserved a second look.

“A judge needs probable cause to issue a search warrant, and I think some of their issues came to the forefront there,” Oberlie said.

Council member Phil Jankowski, who serves as the Utilities Committee president, said it hasn’t told authorities of any concerns since it brought some residential sewer overflows to the attention of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management about a year ago.

“Clearly, there are a lot of overflows that have not been reported,” Jankowski said, “but we have just sat back and let the EPA and IDEM do their jobs.”

IDEM has looked into several sanitary sewer overflows here over the last several months, he said.

EPA spokeswoman Phillipa Cannon said there is no danger to the public from activities at the Sanitary District, although she could not provide any further specifics of the investigation, as it is ongoing.

“I don’t know if there was a risk in the past, I can’t speak to that,” Cannon said.

Randall Ashe, special agent in charge for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago, said Thursday that 25 or 30 agents were involved in executing the search warrant, including EPA law enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard and Indiana State Police. He said the agents were seeking documents and “samples” in carrying out the search. Officials questioned many of the district’s workers and were seen lugging boxes of papers and what appeared to be computer hard drives to and from the building into the night.

The treatment plant was not shut down and is continuing operations.

Following a raw sewage overflow at B&E Marine on May 13, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management requested copies of three photos taken by a News-Dispatch reporter of the cleanup efforts. The pictures showed Sanitary District workers who appeared to be mopping up black sewage that remained on the docks.

But IDEM spokeswoman Amber Finkelstein said she spoke with Ashe and was not able to confirm whether those photos were related to the EPA’s investigation.

Michael Hoffman, Sanitary District collections superintendent, previously said the 2 inches of rain that fell in the early morning hours of May 13 caused a sewer line at B&E Marine to overflow, sending about 500 to 1,000 gallons of raw sewage spilling onto the docks.

“Obviously, one does not want to put untreated sewage in Trail Creek, ever, but the volume was fairly small,” he said then.

Sewage overflows are not an infrequent occurrence for the Sanitary District. According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, eight sewage overflows have been reported by the district so far this year. In 2009, there were 18 overflows, Finkelstein said.

The Sanitary District also has been investigated by the Indiana Department of Labor for possible whistleblower retaliation against former District employee Ron Meer, who lost his job after being accused of going to state officials with his concerns about job safety at the plant, rather than going through the chain of command.

Oberlie said he was not aware of any Sanitary District employee who resigned or was let go as a result of the investigation so far.

“Once it is done, I expect we’ll take action on the results and recommendations they provide,” he said.

District Superintendent Al Walus also said he had no comment on the issue when a reporter asked to meet with him Friday at the Sanitary District offices. The district’s attorney, Bill Nelson, did not return a call to his office Friday.

A special Sanitary Board meeting to discuss personnel staffing levels that was rescheduled for Monday has been canceled.

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Southsider2k12
post Jun 6 2010, 11:37 AM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/0...63910420678.txt

QUOTE
Mayor draws heavy criticism

Matt Field/The News-Dispatch Councilman Bob McKee at Tuesday’s City Council Meeting.
By Matt Field
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, June 6, 2010 4:12 AM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — After heavily criticizing the mayor in a speech at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Councilman Bob McKee said the mayor has let friendship get in the way of being a good manager.

In an interview Saturday, McKee singled out the mayor’s relationship with Sanitary District General Manager Al Walus, saying the mayor has let safety and environmental problems at the plant get out of hand because of his reluctance to manage friends.

“He knows the ins and outs of city government as well as anyone, but he’s not applying that knowledge to managing the people he needs to manage,” said McKee, adding, “If you isolate the Sanitary District, it gets even worse because, again there’s a close friendship there.”

It’s tough to take on friends, McKee said.

“When you’re talking about a town this size you’re talking about people you’ve lived with, are friends with, and it’s very tough to be critical of,” he said.

Oberlie could not be reached for comment.

In his speech Tuesday, McKee laid into the mayor’s administration on multiple fronts. He hit Oberlie for not responding forcefully enough to the problems at the Sanitary District.

“The mayor, in typical fashion, hid behind the board as if he had no ability to exert influence in the situation.”

McKee said Saturday his recent criticism of the mayor comes after attempts to deal with the problem more privately had gone nowhere. He said public criticism of the sort he dealt in Tuesday was out of character.

“This isn’t the start of a war with the mayor,” he said. “I’m going to work with him and hopefully, if you ask him, he’s going to work with me.”

But on Tuesday McKee’s criticism of the mayor’s administration was wide-ranging and specific. The mayoral administration misspent money in the Splash Pad project. The administration puts up with work at the Central Maintenance Department so bad, that “one of our better run departments (the Water Department) refuses to take their vehicle and equipment to them for maintenance.”

When asked if his strong criticism could signal he was considering a bid for Oberlie’s job, McKee wouldn’t rule it out.

“I would say it’s probably doubtful, but I learned long ago not to count everything out of the equation.”

He was hesitant about that point, however, saying he feared that his criticism would be taken as politically motivated. He said he still wants to work with mayor.

The speech was an attempt to make his frustration known, McKee said Saturday.

“In my opinion the mayor has screwed up on a number of issues here,” McKee said. “I let him know it very forcefully.”
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Southsider2k12
post Jun 7 2010, 09:38 AM
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The unsubstantiated rumor on the John Landecker show this morning is that a resignation might be forthcoming out of the Sanitary District mess...
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post Jun 7 2010, 08:15 PM
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QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Jun 7 2010, 10:38 AM) *

The unsubstantiated rumor on the John Landecker show this morning is that a resignation might be forthcoming out of the Sanitary District mess...


Too little...too late.
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post Jun 9 2010, 06:36 AM
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Southsider2k12
post Jun 9 2010, 08:13 AM
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I believe this is called the fall guy...

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/0...2e147077333.txt

QUOTE
Sanitary District official quits

Senior manager Olson: “I just felt like” retiring
By Matt Field
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, June 9, 2010 4:13 AM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — A senior manager at the Sanitary District abruptly retired Monday.

Plant Superintendent Dan Olson informed the Sanitary Board on Monday that he would be retiring at the end of the day.

Olson worked for the district for about 10 years, Sanitary District General Manager Al Walus said. Walus would not say why Olson chose to retire, saying only that it was a private decision. He is a veteran of about 40 years of work in sewage treatment departments.

Olson’s departure came just days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency executed a search warrant at the Sanitary District, looking for evidence of possible environmental crimes. Neither the EPA nor the U.S. Attorney’s office would discuss the investigation, but the probe may relate to unreported sewage overflows.

Olson was responsible for the district’s wastewater treatment plant. When there were sewage overflows or spills, it was Olson’s responsibility to report them to state regulators, Walus said.

When reached by phone at home, Olson would not say much about his decision to end his career.

“I just felt like it,” he said.

When asked if his departure seemed abrupt, he hung up the phone.

Mayor Chuck Oberlie said he had did not ask Walus to pressure Olson to leave his post. The mayor acknowledged that Olson left abruptly. “That does seem unusual,” he said.

According to the mayor, Olson was a knowledgeable staff member who seemed well versed on regulations governing waste water management.

“From my perspective, he’s been an asset to the community and we can only hope this retirement works out for him,” he said.

Walus said another employee with the proper license to manage the plant has taken over on an interim basis. He did not know when a permanent employee would be found.

The timing of Olson’s departure comes at a time when the Sanitary District is under scrutiny by federal and state agencies. In addition to the EPA matter, the Indiana Department of Labor recently concluded that a whistle-blower complaint leveled against the district by Ron Meer had merit. The department has referred the complaint to the Indiana Attorney General’s office to consider whether to bring a lawsuit against the district.

Meer was fired after a Sanitary District investigation found that he had reported safety issues to state regulators and not his bosses. The Attorney General’s Office can seek to compel the district to rehire Meer.

Sewage overflows are not an infrequent occurrence for the Sanitary District. According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, eight sewage overflows had been reported by the district by mid-May. In 2009, there were 18 overflows.
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Southsider2k12
post Jun 9 2010, 08:29 AM
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http://www.post-trib.com/news/2370098,new-...ent0609.article

QUOTE
Sanitary district head retires after raids
Comments

June 9, 2010
BY GITTE LAASBY, (219) 648-2183

MICHIGAN CITY -- The superintendent of the Michigan City Sanitary District retired Monday -- only two work days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency raided the facility looking for evidence of environmental crimes.

Plant Superintendent Dan Olson said goodbye to his colleagues Monday night and left behind his work vehicle.

"It was a personal decision by Dan and we respect his privacy in that matter. That's the extent of our comments," plant General Manager Al Walus told the Post-Tribune.

Walus is in charge of the district.

Olson, who had been in the business for 40 years, didn't want to comment on whether his resignation was related to the raid.

"I'm retired now ... I have nothing to comment on," he told the Post-Tribune. "It was my choice to retire."

Olson had worked as a superintendent at the Michigan City Sanitary District since Oct. 23, 2000, said Shelley Dunleavy, personnel director for the city.

Phil Jankowski, a City Councilman who has been critical of Walus, said the retirement was a surprise.

"I'm sure it was kind of unexpected," he said.

Walus said the district has appointed an interim certified wastewater treatment plant operator to be in charge. He said the district's board of commissioners will decide in the coming weeks whether an interim operator should be promoted to superintendent or whether the district should start a search for a new one. The board meets at 1 p.m. every fourth Wednesday of the month.

The EPA did not indicate what kind of crimes agents were investigating.

Sources told the Post-Tribune the investigation involves several years of unreported sewer overflows -- including some into Trail Creek after manhole covers popped up in Washington Park -- and the firing of the whistleblower who tipped off the government.

Workers told the Post-Tribune there were "dozens and dozens of overflows" and cleanups after overflows, but said the district only reported a few over a decade. According to some reports, the district has reported about two dozen overflows since May 2009.

Indiana law mandates that the district report overflows to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the public. Sources estimated the violations went unreported from about 2002 through mid-2009.


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