JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — An Arvada company has pleaded guilty for discharging fluids from work sites into a storm drain that leads to Clear Creek, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
An Arvada resident reported to the City of Arvada’s stormwater administrator after witnessing Rapid Wire LLC trucks discharging liquid along the Sheridan Boulevard frontage road in Arvada on Oct. 28, 2020. The stormwater administrator had previously issued a compliance advisory to the company in November 2019 for illegal discharge in the same area, according to the AG’s office.
On March 7, Steve Faria, the owner of Rapid Wire, pleaded guilty in Jefferson County District Court to one count of criminal pollution on behalf of the company. As part of the plea, the company paid $2,747 in restitution to cover the costs of the testing and cleanup of the dumping sites. Rapid Wire also agreed to make a $10,000 donation to Colorado Watershed Assembly as part of the plea.
Rapid Wire had to forfeit its municipal general contractor license for the City of Arvada as part of the agreement as well, which means the company is not allowed to do general contracting work in the city. The company may be a subcontractor for a different licensed general contractor within the city but must disclose its name, scope of work and involvement as a subcontractor on the licensed general contractor’s permit for the work.
Attorney General Phil Weiser said it was the first environment crimes case his office prosecuted because of the enhanced penalties for those who violate the clean water provisions of HB20-1143, which the state legislature enacted in 2020.
“Protecting our water is a top priority for my office,” Weiser said. “We will hold those accountable who knowingly pollute our waters.”
