"YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Backlash over Hard Rock Excavating’s decision to dump thousands of gallons of fracking waste into a storm drain continued Wednesday with sharp criticism of both state law and the oil and gas industry."
"Environmental groups, elected officials, the public and even the industry itself decried last Thursday’s incident when inspectors with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources were dispatched to Hard Rock’s headquarters at 2761 Salt Springs Road only to witness an employee cleaning out what is now described as a tanker truck filled with brine and oil.
Stoking the outrage were documents released late Tuesday by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency that show Ben W. Lupo, a partner in several companies headquartered at the site, and owner of both D&L Energy and Hard Rock, instructed an employee to dump the wastewater down the drain, which eventually emptied into the Mahoning River.
Youngstown Fire Chief John J. O’Neill Jr. said he spoke Wednesday with Kurt Kollar, the on-scene coordinator for OEPA’s Division of Emergency and Remedial Response, who told him 40,000 to 50,000 gallons were dumped into a storm sewer that empties into the Mahoning River."
Jamison Cocklin and David Skolnick report for the Youngstown Vindicator February 7, 2013.
SEE ALSO:
"State Investigates Fracking Waste Spill" (Columbus Dispatch)
"Youngstown Residents React To Fracking Wastewater" (Shale Reporter/Beaver County Times)
"Ohio Company Accused of Dumping Fracking Wastewater Down Storm Drain" (AP/Akron Beacon-Journal)
"Ohio EPA Investigating Dumping of Drilling Waste Water in Youngstown Area" (Akron Beacon-Journal)
Advertisement 
