MARTINS FERRY, Ohio — A Belmont County court recently ordered an oil and gas waste services company to remove excessive amounts of brine and drilling waste from its facility near the Ohio River. Austin Master Services did not properly dispose of the waste before the 14-day deadline.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency are assessing the best and safest way to remove the waste, however, residents say it’s not fast enough. Recent flooding at the site highlighted the potential danger to the environment.
“What we’ve had over the last few weeks was a perfect storm,” said Robert Reed, a resident who spoke at Martin Ferrys City Council meeting on April 17. “We had Austin Masters packing the building with the maximum amount of toxic waste that they could. The flood was the perfect convergence of troubles.”
Cleanup
Austin Master Services, a Pennsylvania-based company was first authorized by the ODNR in 2014 to process, recycle and treat oilfield and gas well brine at its wastewater treatment plant in Martins Ferry, Ohio. The facility had an ideal location because of its proximity to the highway, railroads and the Ohio River, located 500 feet away.
However, its close proximity to the City of Martins Ferrys drinking water field — 1,000 feet — and regional water sources like the Ohio River has been cause for concern.
According to Mayor John Davies, the Austin Master facility is storing 10,000 tons of waste, which he estimates is about 500 truckloads over their permitted limit. The facility is also improperly storing the waste in dumpsters, instead of tanks, and waste liquid and sludge are present on the floors.
These issues threaten to contaminate the nearby water sources and soil. Martins Ferry draws its drinking water from several groundwater wells, but other local communities downstream draw their water from the Ohio River.
The city has been in contact with the EPA and ODNR regarding the cleanup, and Davies has visited the facility on multiple occasions. He is unsure how much of the waste has been removed. He is also upset with the lack of communication between ODNR, EPA and city council on the cleanup.
The concerns about contamination increased after heavy rains caused the Ohio River to overflow its banks, surrounding the Austin Master facility, a flood-prone area, with water. Davies visited the plant once he heard about the flooding and reported the flood wall in the building stopped the water from reaching the waste and debris.
This news relieved residents and city council officials. If the water had reached the waste, it could’ve contaminated local soil and waterways. But, the flood further highlighted the need for a fast cleanup before the problem gets worse.
History of violations
The first documented sign of trouble started in 2017 when ODNR found waste and filter socks — used to filter wastewater — being stored on the floor instead of in tanks.
Environmental advocacy groups, the Concerned Ohio River Residents and Mountain Watershed Association, collected soil samples in November 2021 after the ODNR previously cited the company for improperly storing waste. The results showed high levels of radioactivity in the soil surrounding the facility and road.
The EPA toured the facility in May 2023 and flagged the facility for possible superfund funding due to the excessive amounts of radioactive contamination. Trouble reemerged on Feb. 7 when ODNR inspected the facility and found numerous violations.
On March 19, ODNR Division of Oil and Gas ordered the company to suspend operations to “ensure operations occur at the facility in compliance with the Division’s permit to operate the facility and for the safety of the public and to protect the environment.”
On March 26, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a restraining order and preliminary injunction against the company in the Belmont County Common Pleas Court. Judge John Vavra approved the injunction on April 3 and gave Austin Masters 14 days to clean up the site to come back into compliance with its permit.
Since then, a recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette investigation revealed a lengthy history of financial troubles at Austin Masters. According to the investigation, the piles of waste were a result of the company not paying its vendors, and, on March 18, all of the employees at the facility were laid off.
Davies expressed frustration with both the ODNR and Austin Master for the situation at hand, saying the regulatory agency should’ve conducted oversight sooner and that Austin Master “took the money and ran” leaving a mess in its wake.
ODNR Spokesman Andy Chow confirmed the division ordered Austin Master Services to suspend operations at its Martins Ferry site in March “because the amount of oil and gas waste at the facility exceeds the amount allowable by permit.”
He continued, “There is no evidence that any oil and gas waste has impacted public health or the environment. The Division continues to monitor the facility to ensure compliance.”
Future
A timeline for the cleanup is still undetermined. But, once it is complete, some residents and city council officials said they no longer want the oil and gas wastewater facility in Martins Ferry.
At the city council meeting on April 17, officials discussed drafting an ordinance that would keep out similar operations. The city council also plans to write a letter asking ODNR to not repermit the facility, and will ask for support for its letter from nearby communities and the county.
“Are we going to accept everything they’ve done?” Reed said, during public comment. “I don’t want to accept it anymore. I’m tired. It’s time to send them packing. I think the council … should send a letter to ODNR. Tell them we don’t want it. We can’t take your waste anymore. I don’t know what you’re gonna do with it, but don’t bring it to our town.”
(Liz Partsch can be reached at epartsch@farmanddairy.com or 330-337-3419.)
