A Hart County, Kentucky, company, Logsdon Valley Oil, Inc., a/k/a Hart Petroleum, has been sentenced to 3 years of probation and fined $100,000 for violating the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The environmental crime occurred in 2019 when Logsdon Valley Oil, Inc. illegally discharged produced fluid, also known as brine water, from oil and gas production into sinkholes without a permit.
This is not the first time Logsdon Valley Oil, Inc. has been convicted of violating the Safe Drinking Water Act. In 2013, the company was previously convicted of the same crime.
US Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky said, ‘The enforcement of the Safe Drinking Water Act is vital to keeping Kentucky’s groundwater safe. We will continue to pursue, in partnership with the EPA, those who violate federal environmental laws in order to keep our citizens safe and to protect Kentucky’s natural resources.’
Acting Special Agent in Charge Leslie Carroll of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division covering Kentucky stated, ‘Illegally injecting brine water into an unpermitted well violates the Safe Drinking Water Act and threatens the quality of groundwater. Our nation’s environmental laws are designed to protect public health and safety, and the sentencing of Logsdon Valley Oil demonstrates that the EPA and its law enforcement partners will take action to protect communities and their local water supplies.’
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Judd prosecuted the case.
Logsdon Valley Oil, Inc., a/k/a Hart Petroleum, was found guilty of violating the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2019. The company was sentenced to 3 years of probation and fined $100,000 for the environmental crime.
The sentencing of Logsdon Valley Oil, Inc. serves as a reminder to companies and individuals that violating federal environmental laws will result in severe consequences.
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Category: Environmental Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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