Charges filed against Electron Hydro over river pollution

SEATTLE (AP) — Three dozen criminal charges have been filed against Electron Hydro and its chief operating officer Thom Fischer in connection with a 2020 spill of crumb rubber into the Puyallup River. The Seattle Times reports Washington Attorney General Robert Ferguson filed the 36 gross misdemeanor charges Monday in Pierce County Superior Court. The charges include violations of the state’s Water Pollution Control Act, the Shoreline Management Act and Pierce County Code. The dam’s owners have stated they will oppose any effort to remove the dam, which previously provided electricity to about 20,000 customers. Fischer could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.