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According to Reuters reports, An Alaska man who led a rafting trip in
the Grand Canyon has been fined nearly $2,500 for dumping trash in the
Colorado River and illegally collecting firewood, prosecutors said on
Tuesday.
Nels Nicholas Niemi, 75, was the leader of a 12-day non-commercial
rafting trip through Grand Canyon National Park during which rubbish
was dropped in the river daily, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the
District of Arizona said.
Niemi was told at the outset that his group must take with them all
refuse and garbage it produced, the office said in a statement, adding
he then displayed complete disregard for regulations designed to
protect the river ecosystem.
The Colorado River passes through the Grand Canyon, which is one the
world's top tourist attractions and is visited by more than 4.5
million people every year.
U.S. Attorney John Leonardo said the prosecution of Niemi, who was
convicted in October, should remind all river users that the rules
were important and would be vigorously enforced.
