Youngstown Gas Driller Indicted for Dumping Fracking Waste Into River

"CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A federal grand jury returned an indictment against the owner of an oil and gas drilling company on Thursday, charging him with violating the Clean Water Act by dumping more than 20,000 gallons of fracking waste into a river in Youngstown."



"In addition to the charges against Benedict Lupo, 62, of Poland, Ohio, the grand jury also returned Clean Water Act indictments against Lupo’s company, Hardrock Excavating, and an employee of the company, Michael Guesman, 34, of Cortland.

Guesman previously told federal agents that on Jan. 31 he dumped a toxic stew of drilling mud containing salt-water, crude oil and several hazardous pollutants, including benzene and toluene, into a storm drain that emptied into a tributary of the Mahoning River, according to a court document. The employee said he was acting on Lupo’s orders."

James F. McCarty reports for the Cleveland Plain Dealer February 28, 2013.

SEE ALSO:

"Beaver Falls Water Authority Never Notified of Illegal Dumping" (Shale Reporter/Beaver Falls Times)

Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer, 03/01/2013