Partnership for Community Programs, Inc.

Contractor sentenced-Target department Stores-Escambia County

Mark Ribbe, former roofing contractor for Target department stores has been sentenced for his role in a chemical spill that occurred in October 2003.

According DEP records, in October 2003, David Hayes Marshall, a roofing foreman employed by Target, punctured a 275-gallon container of acrylic coating at the Bayou Boulevard department store and rinsed the container's entire contents into a grated storm drain in the parking lot. The drain leads to Carpenter Creek, which feeds into Bayou Texar and Pensacola Bay.

Several days later, a resident noticed a white substance in Bayou Texar and reported the spill to the DEP. Mr. Ribbe was sentenced to five years' probation received a $5,000 fine and will spend the first six months of his probation under house arrest. He faced a maximum sentence of three years in prison and $150,000 in penalties. His sentence also requires him to pay $75,000 to the West Florida Regional Planning Council's Partnership for Community Programs, which will use the money to improve water quality in Bayou Texar and Carpenter's Creek. Amount: $75,000.00.