Owner accused of discharging hazardous waste in eastern Missouri

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- An eastern Missouri business owner and his company face federal charges for the alleged illegal transportation, storage and discharge of hazardous waste.

Paul Fredericks owns three plants under the name Usona, an anodizing plant in Cuba, Mo., and a wet paint plant and powder coating plant, both in St. Louis.

A federal indictment announced Thursday by U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway alleges that when the powder coating plant ceased operation in 2007, Fredericks ordered the illegal transportation of hazardous waste to the plant in Cuba.

Hanaway says that in April, Fredericks directed the illegal discharge of the pollutants into a sanitary sewer drain in Cuba.

A phone message left with Fredericks was not returned.