Dumping oil in Vermilion could lead to a year in jail

An oilfield worker is looking at up to a year in jail for polluting the Vermilion River.

United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced Wednesday that Robbie Mouton, 56, of Youngsville, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill to one count of negligent discharge of pollutants.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Mouton – who owns Robbie’s Gauging Service Inc. of Youngsville and is its principal gauger – negligently discharged a mixture of produced water and crude oil into the Vermilion River during the period from Jan. 6, 2009 to Jan. 19, 2009, at an oilfield exploration site in Milton.

Mouton admitted that the discharge took place without a permit.

He faces a year in prison, a year of supervised release, and a fine of $2,500 to $25,000 per day of the violation or $100,000, whichever is greater. No sentencing date was set.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality-Criminal Investigations Division, and the Louisiana State Police – Emergency Services Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.