DEP Finds Bradford Co. Company Negligent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

01/19/2010
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120

CONTACT:

Daniel T. Spadoni,
Department of Environmental Protection Northcentral Regional Office

570-327-3659

DEP Fines M.R. Dirt Inc. $6,000 for Residual Waste Sludge Spill

Seven Tons Spilled in Clinton County Last Fall

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Department of Environmental Protection has fined M.R. Dirt Inc. of Towanda, Bradford County, $6,000 for a residual waste sludge spill last September at the Avis exit of U.S. Route 220 in Pine Creek Township, Clinton County.

"M.R. Dirt was clearly negligent because a company employee drove away even though he observed that the seven tons of gas well drilling wastewater sludge had spilled from his vehicle,” said DEP Northcentral Regional Director Robert Yowell.

A nearby PennDOT work crew witnessed the incident, contacted the county emergency management agency that, in turn, notified DEP.

After investigating the spill, DEP requested M.R. Dirt to hire a cleanup contractor and the company complied.

The fine was paid to the Solid Waste Abatement Fund that is used to pay for cleanups across the state

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, or call 570-327-3659.

DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY!