Lockhart Chemical Company president will stand trial after allegedly polluting Flint River

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(FOX 2) - The president of a chemical company behind the alleged dumping of waste into the Flint River will stand trial.

The Rochester man faces four felonies and several more misdemeanors in connection with the environmental pollution.

Big picture view:

The Rochester man who was president of a chemical company when it allegedly dumped thousands of gallons of environmental waste into the Flint River in 2022 will stand trial. 

Rajinder Singh Minhas, 60,was bound over this week on four felony counts, including:

• Falsely altering a public record - 14-year felony
• Uttering and publishing a false or altered public record - 14-year felony
• Substantial endangerment to the public - 5-year felony
• Discharge of injurious substance to waters of the state - 2-year felony

Minhas was ordered to go on trial six months after the Michigan Attorney General first announced the charges.

"Serious violations by businesses that endanger the health and well-being of Michigan residents and our environment cannot be tolerated," Dana Nessel said.

Dig deeper:

Minhas is the president of Lockhart Chemical, a Flint-based company that produces chemicals that prevent rust on manufacturing equipment used in the metalworking industry. 

According to prosecutors, the company dumped 15,000 gallons of an "oil chemical mixture" into the Flint River in June 2022.

An investigation by various departments of used chemical fingerprinting to determine the source of the pollution, tracing it to the Lockhart Chemical facility on the Flint River.

Minhas also faces 11 separate misdemeanor charges, including nine counts of allegedly violating the State's Liquid Industrial Waste Law. 

In addition to allegedly discharging byproducts into the environment, he also failed to report the discharge as well as failing to properly label chemical containers.

What's next:

A trial date has not been set.