Company official charged in 2022 oil-chemical discharge into Michigan’s Flint River

By The Associated Press

City, Genesee County and state of Michigan agencies respond to an oil spill in the Flint River, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (Jake May/MLive.com/The Flint Journal via AP, File[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Jake May]

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — The president of a chemical company has been charged in connection with the unauthorized discharge of oil that left a miles-long dark, oily sheen on the Flint River in Michigan more than two years ago.

Rajinder Singh Minhas, 60, of Rochester, Michigan, was arrested and arraigned last week on charges of falsely altering a public record, substantial endangerment to the public, discharge of injurious substance to waters of the state, false statements and omissions regarding air pollution control and other charges, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Monday.

Minhas also served as director and treasurer of Flint-based Lockhart Chemical which manufactures coatings, metalworking additives, hydraulic fluids and lubricants.

Critical maintenance and upgrades at the facility allegedly were mismanaged and neglected, Nessel said in a release.

About 15,000 gallons of an oil-chemical mixture was released June 15, 2022. The spill came from a storm sewer that discharges into the river, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said at the time.

The state later required the company to immediately stop using defective wastewater and stormwater conveyance systems and to make other changes. Lockhart has since filed for bankruptcy.

Officials said Flint’s drinking water was not threatened. Flint used the river for drinking water in 2014-15 before lead contamination caused the city to return to Lake Huron water provided by a regional supplier.

Minhas has been released on a personal bond and is due back in court Jan. 2 for a probable cause conference, according to court records.

The Associated Press attempted Monday to reach Lockhart Chemical for comment, but the telephone number listed for the company was disconnected. A voicemail seeking comment was left Monday afternoon for Minhas’ attorney.