THE FORMER SIOUX CITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT SUPERINTENDENT HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR VIOLATING THE CLEAN WATER ACT.
63-YEAR-OLD JAY NIDAY OF SERGEANT BLUFF WAS SENTENCED TO THREE MONTHS IN PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO ONE COUNT OF CONSPIRACY AND ONE COUNT OF KNOWINGLY FALSIFYING, TAMPERING WITH, AND RENDERING INACCURATE A MONITORING DEVICE OR METHOD REQUIRED TO BE MAINTAINED UNDER THE CLEAN WATER ACT.
EVIDENCE SHOWED THAT NIDAY AND OTHERS KNOWINGLY WITHHELD INFORMATION FROM THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ABOUT SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE TREATMENT PLANT’S PROCESS FROM 2011 UNTIL AT LEAST JUNE OF 2015.
NIDAY AND CO-CONSPIRATORS EMPLOYED A FRAUDULENT TESTING PROCEDURE THAT ENSURED THE PLANT WOULD ALWAYS PASS ITS TESTS FOR FECAL COLIFORM, E. COLI, AND TRC.
THEY KNEW THAT THE PLANT DID NOT WORK PROPERLY AND COULD NOT CONSISTENTLY DISINFECT THE MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WASTEWATER DISCHARGING INTO THE MISSOURI RIVER EACH DAY.
NIDAY WAS ALSO FINED $6,000 AND MUST ALSO REPAY $2,500 IN COURT-APPOINTED ATTORNEY FEES.
HE IS TO SURRENDER TO THE BUREAU OF PRISONS ON A DATE YET TO BE SET.
