Dentons Secures Dismissal on All Charges Against David Rawson and Recycled Earth in Environmental Case

On Wednesday December 3, 2025, Judge Craig Hall of Utah’s Second District Court dismissed all criminal charges against David Rawson and his company Recycled Earth (client of Dentons, the world’s largest global law firm), concluding a lengthy environmental prosecution. The dismissal came on the state’s motion after a careful review of the evidence, and it comes nearly eight months after the state first brought felony criminal charges.

In plain terms, the environmental case against Mr. Rawson and Recycled Earth is over, and they have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing.

The case had centered on what the state alleged were two unlawful discharges of liquid pollutants from Recycled Earth’s property in August 2022 and January 2023. The evidence revealed, however, that Recycled Earth never knowingly or intentionally discharged pollutants. Rather, a Recycled Earth customer had dumped contaminated water at Recycled Earth’s property without Recycled Earth’s knowledge or consent.

“This case never should have been charged,” said Aaron Clark of Dentons, attorney for Rawson and Recycled Earth. “As soon as the environmental issues were brought to Mr. Rawson’s attention, he did exactly what a responsible business owner is supposed to do: he worked with the city and state to clean up the site, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on experts, remediation, and attorneys.”

That process forced Recycled Earth to shutter operations for nearly two years while the cleanup progressed. Adding insult to injury, the criminal accusations came just as the state’s Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control had approved Recycled Earth’s cleanup efforts and closed the matter. Overall, the ordeal unfairly impacted Mr. Rawson’s and Recycled Earth’s reputation in the community while crippling the company financially and its goodwill with the community.

“This dismissal represents justice for Mr. Rawson,” added co-counsel Tyler Cahoon, also with Dentons. “It demonstrates, once again, just how essential it is for prosecutors to consider the full picture when making charging decisions that impact people’s lives and livelihoods.”

With this chapter finally concluded, Mr. Rawson is ready to move forward. “I’m glad the legal record now reflects what we’ve been working toward for years,” Rawson said. “This has been a difficult period for me personally, my family, and our company, but we’re ready to move on and continue to make positive contributions to the community.”