UPDATED: In wake of major spill, hearing set for D&L energy owner and ODNR tomorrow
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - An informal hearing is scheduled between The owner of Hardrock Excavating and D&L Energy and ODNR, to request that their permits reinstated.
Ben Lupo, the owner of both businesses, had his operating permits permanently revoked last week by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, after state officials say he admitted to telling workers to illegally dump two tankers of frac fluid into a storm sewer on his property on January 31st.
The "show case" hearing will occur at ODNR's Uniontown station. There, Lupo is expected to make a case for reinstating his permits with the board.
No time has been given for the hearing. It will not be open to the public.
Lupo has 45 days to get all material out of his Salt Springs Road facility and disposed of it, according to state authorities.
21 News learned that Patriot Water Treatment is licensed and able to accept the industrial waste water on D&L's property that must now be properly disposed of.
A spokesperson for Patriot says they did test the oilfield waste and found that it contained minimal salts and residual metals. Those materials were removed from the water, and then the water was sent to the Warren Waste Water treatment plant.
Meanwhile, the cleanup continues on the Mahoning River. The Ohio EPA, ODNR and the U.S. EPA say the clean up could last the rest of this week and into next week.
It was on Monday, when an on-scene coordinator from the Ohio EPA told Youngstown Mayor Chuck Sammarone, other city leaders, and news reporters, that the owner of the Salt Springs Road businesses admitted to dumping oil, brine and oilfield waste into a storm sewer at least six times since September.
Each time the discharge occurred it involved two truckloads of waste from frac tanks. Each truck holds about 21,000 gallons, making the volume of waste dumped since September about 252,000 gallons.
