A Nebraska man will serve six months in prison for violating the federal Clean Air Act. Acting U.S. Attorney Robert C. Stuart said Patrick Keough’s company used gel coats and hazardous paints to manufacture fiberglass animals without the required filters and permits in two southeastern Nebraska villages.

U.S. Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Keough to six months’ imprisonment, followed by a one-year term of supervised release.

Keough is the owner of America’s Fiberglass Animals (AFA). AFA uses gel coats and Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) paints to manufacture fiberglass animals. The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) determined that AFA required a construction permit and fabric filters in the manufacturing area to operate its business.

Keough continued to operate his business in Shelton, Nebraska, without securing a permit or installing fabric filters. He then moved the business to Minden, Nebraska, without advising NDEQ and without securing the required permit. The business continued to operate without fabric filters.

This case was investigated by United States Environmental Protection Agency Region VII. The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality assisted with the investigation.