The facility of Austin Master Service in Martins Ferry will be cleaned up by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The court had given Austin Master Services a deadline of July 22nd to comply with the order to clean up the site. Unfortunately, they failed to do so, as reported by the ODNR. As a result, the ODNR will now be responsible for overseeing the clean-up project.
Officials with the ODNR have released a statement to 7NEWS on Monday evening stating that…
“In March, Division of Oil & Gas Resources Management inspectors discovered Austin Master Services exceeded its waste limits and immediately suspended operations and sought emergency relief from the courts. ODNR has been relentlessly pursuing AMS through litigation to hold them accountable for their responsibility to clean up the site, while closely monitoring the facility. Now that the court’s contempt deadline has expired, we are able to and will take over clean up beginning on July 23.” Chief Eric Vendel, ODNR Division of Oil & Natural Gas Resources Management
According to ODNR, their plan is not only to ensure the facility meets the permitted levels of waste but also to supervise a comprehensive disposal of all waste in the facility and carry out a complete remediation of the site.
Funds for the project will be sourced from bond forfeiture and the oil and gas fund, while seeking direct reimbursement from Austin Master Services.
According to ODNOR, Austin Master Services, along with any of its affiliated companies, will be held responsible for their actions and the organization will take all necessary measures to ensure accountability.
