PORTLAND, Ore. — A Troutdale woman has been sentenced to federal prison for her role in a scheme that illegally discharged approximately 500,000 gallons of industrial wastewater contaminated with hazardous chemicals into the Hillsboro sanitary sewer system.
Kayla Hartley, 36, was sentenced to five months in federal prison, ordered to pay a $25,000 fine, and will serve three years of supervised release following her incarceration.
According to court documents, Hartley served as Director of Operations for Northwest Slurry Solutions and Hydro Excavation, LLC, a Hillsboro-based company known as Northwest Slurry. Between February and September 2020, Hartley marketed the company as capable of accepting and disposing of industrial wastewater despite lacking the permits or authorization required to handle such waste.
Federal prosecutors said Northwest Slurry accepted roughly 500,000 gallons of industrial wastewater containing hydrofluoric acid and a variety of toxic metals, including titanium, molybdenum, vanadium, and arsenic. The contaminated wastewater was then discharged into the Hillsboro sanitary sewer system.
Investigators found that when representatives from Clean Water Services, the agency responsible for operating Hillsboro’s sewer system, visited the facility, Hartley attempted to conceal the company’s unauthorized discharge activities.
A federal grand jury in Portland indicted Hartley on July 15, 2025, charging her with conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act and substantive violations of the law. She pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2026, to conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon announced the sentence.
The investigation was led by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from Clean Water Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew T. Ho and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Russell.
The prosecution was part of an investigation conducted by the Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF), a District of Oregon initiative that coordinates federal, state, and local resources to investigate and prosecute significant environmental, public lands, and wildlife crimes. The task force focuses on protecting public health, safeguarding natural resources, and holding environmental violators accountable.
Authorities encourage the public to report environmental incidents that may pose an immediate threat to human health or the environment by calling 911 and notifying the Environmental Protection Agency through its reporting system or the National Response Center.
About the Author
Discover more from Right Now Oregon
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
