Senator Sends Copies of Slocum Plea Agreement to Others in Senate

Pennsylvania Senate Leader Robert J. Mellow sent all 50 state senators copies of a plea agreement signed by Sen. William Slocum, who pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, to six counts of negligently discharging pollutants.The plea agreement outlines a 12-year pattern of criminal negligence by Slocum that resulted in the discharge of 3.5 million gallons of raw sewage and sewage sludge into the Allegheny Watershed.The pollution occurred while Slocum supervised the operation of the Youngsville sewage treatment plant.Mellow reported that he shared the plea agreement with members of the Senate to foster an informed debate about the appropriate Senate response to Senator Slocum's criminal conduct. Senate Democrats attempted to censure Slocum as a result of his guilty pleas. Republican senators defeated the censure attempt on a 20-28 vote that split on party-lines. Mellow said he hoped Slocum's Republican colleagues will reconsider their position after reading the plea agreement. He noted that Slocum has admitted that the agreement contains a "complete and accurate account" of his conduct that reported 3.5 million gallons of raw sewage and sludge from the Youngsville sewage treatment plant were dumped into Brokenstraw Creek. Mellow said the creek empties into the Allegheny River, which serves as a source of drinking water for many communities in Western Pennsylvania. (Source: PRNewswire)