News Briefs: Operator Who Ignored Broken Centrifuge Avoids Jail Time

The former manager of the Oswego (New York) Wastewater Treatment Plant avoided jail time and was sentenced probation and a fine for failing to take action when the plant’s centrifuge stopped working in December of 2014. Gary Hallinan — who pleaded guilty to charges of negligently discharging raw sewage into Lake Ontario — had been facing more than a year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000. Instead, he will serve two years under probation, pay a $1,000 fine and is mandated to perform 200 hours of community service. Prosecutors say the solids discharge from the plant June