KENNEWICK — The state attorney general’s office is prosecuting the owner of a 41-foot fishing boat that sank in the Columbia River last July near Finley, spilling about 50 gallons of diesel fuel.
The Tri-City Herald reports misdemeanor charges of abandoning a derelict vessel and releasing pollutants were filed Tuesday in Benton County District Court.
Assistant Attorney General Josh Choate says the state hopes to recover the $100,000 it cost to remove the boat.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson says he’s helping local prosecutors crack down on environmental crime. The state filed charges last month against two derelict boat owners in Western Washington.
