GILES COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) — On March 23rd, the Mayor of Glen Lyn in Giles County, James Howard Spencer was indicted on federal charges for allowing sewage to be dumped in the rivers in the area.
In federal court, on Friday a Roanoke grand jury indicted Spencer on three counts of knowing violation of permit conditions prohibiting discharges from the Glen Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) System from unauthorized locations.
The documents revealed that during various dates including the summer of 2019, December 2020, and June 2021, Spencer allegedly directed employees of the Town of Glen Lyn to pump sewage and other pollutants from the pump station, behind the Glen Lyn post office. This allegedly caused sewage to flow into the East and New Rivers.
The document states that the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit for the WWTP system designated a specific outlet for discharge from the sewage system of treated sewage into the New River. However, all other discharges of sewage were prohibited.
Spencer pled not guilty and was released on Bond.
Spencer’s attorneys Tony Anderson and Brooks Duncan released the following statement:
Howard Spencer has tirelessly devoted the majority of his adult life to the citizens
of the Town of Glen Lyn, serving them in many different capacities. Mr. Spencer
looks forward to aggressively defending and responding to the allegations that
have been brought against him by the United States government.”
WFXR News will update you with information as it is released.
