(07:23) SAN FRANCISCO – A Carmel man has been charged for dumping pollutants into federally protected wetlands in the San Francisco Bay Area. 59-year-old James Philip Lucero is accused of charging contractors and truck companies a fee in exchange for a space to dump debris. In 2014, Lucero allegedly disposed of waste near the Mowry Slough, part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. He continued the operation without obtaining or applying for a permit. Lucero has been indicted by a federal grand jury and is scheduled to appear in court April 25. (S.G.)
