Christopher Shane NicholsA man accused of stealing copper from an old Rossville mill that resulted in the discharge of oil containing hazardous material linked to cancer has been arrested.
Christopher Shane Nichols, 46, was arrested today on a felony charge of second-degree burglary in Walker County. Additional charges are possible, according to a release from department public relations director Joe Legge. Nichols is also accused of auto theft in East Ridge in an unrelated case, according to the release.
The oil came from a transformer that had tipped over inside the abandoned mill. It contained polychlorinated biphenyls, a chemical linked to several health risks, according to emergency responders. Investigators believe Nichols came to steal copper from the building and tipped over a transformer. The transformer held a 50-gallon drum of oil.
The oil spilled into a storm drain that leads to Williams Street tributary and eventually the Tennessee River, according to Georgia Environmental Protection Division spokesman Kevin Chambers.
An environmental clean-up company responded to contain the oil and placed booms in the tributary to contain the leak, according to the release.
"We deeply appreciate the tireless efforts of Rossville Police Chief Sid Adams and his team to find those responsible for this selfish act that endangered our community," wrote commissioner Shannon Whitfield. "Officer Dewayne Llewellyn should be commended for his quick action and resourcefulness in this case. His decision to make fliers and pass them out at area scrap metal locations helped develop leads that might not have materialized."
Nichols' last known address is a Rossville apartment, "but I'm told he bounced around a lot," Legge wrote.