Two from Fridley Eco firm convicted

Updated: March 28, 2008 - 12:08 AM

Two top officials at Eco Finishing Co. were convicted in federal court of violating the Clean Water Act.

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Two top officials at Eco Finishing Co. in Fridley were convicted in federal court Thursday of violating the Clean Water Act.

After a nine-day trial, the jury deliberated a day and a half before convicting 41-year-old Keith Rosenblum, the company's chief executive officer and president, of one count of felony conspiracy to defraud the United States, two counts of felony violations of the Clean Water Act and 10 counts of negligent violations of the federal act.

The jury also convicted 39-year-old Martin Meister, the company's plant manager, of eight counts of negligent violations of the Clean Water Act.

Last month, the company agreed to pay a $125,000 fine to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Eco Finishing was charged with violating its discharge limits for three metals, including on one occasion releasing about 33 times more cyanide than allowed; did not submit regular required reports of its discharges, and tampered with monitoring equipment to falsify readings.

According to court documents, the company typically discharges about 60,163 gallons of industrial wastewater a day.

U.S. District Court Judge John Tunheim will sentence Rosenblum and Meister at a future date.

In May 2006, the company's former lab chemist, Ted Gibbons of White Bear Lake, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for violating the Clean Water Act, which included tampering with the monitoring equipment. He testified about the company's practices during Rosenblum's and Meister's trial.

MARY LYNN SMITH