Another Freedom Executive Learns His Sentence

A former owner of Freedom Industries has been sentenced to three years of probation and a $20,000 fine. Charles Herzing was sentenced Tuesday in Charleston federal court. He’s the second of six former Freedom officials to be sentenced on pollution charges after thousands of gallons of the coal-cleaning agent MCHM spilled into the Elk River in 2014 and contaminated drinking water. Robert Reynolds, Freedom’s former environmental consultant, was sentenced Monday to three years of probation and a $10,000 fine. Former Freedom plant manager Michael Burdette and the company itself will have separate sentencings Thursday. Other former company officials will be sentenced later this month.