Summary of Criminal Prosecutions
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FISCAL YEAR: 2013
1. PRINCIPAL DEFENDANT: Pemco Services Incorporated
Texas Travis County - D-1-DC-12-900211-218
Texas Travis County - D-1-DC-12-900211-218
November 2, 2012
Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg announced that Pemco Services, Inc. was convicted of Texas Water Code violations relating to the operation of an oil and gas waste landfarming site in Jefferson County, Texas. The District Attorney’s Environmental Protection Unit prosecuted the case. The charges stemmed from a criminal investigation involving the application of more than 1.3 million barrels of used drilling muds onto the landfarm facility in violation of their permit. The drilling wastes contained elevated amounts of drilling mud constituents that threatened to cause and caused pollution in and around the facility. Judge Mike Lynch ordered Pemco Services, Inc. to pay fines totaling $1,350,000. The defendant has also agreed to pay $14,534.31 in restitution for lab analysis by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Laboratory. In addition, the company also spent $1.1 million to clean up the facility, which is now closed. The conviction is a culmination of the collaborative work of the Texas Environmental Task Force. Lehmberg credited the work of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Environmental Crimes Unit, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Laboratory, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Environmental Crimes Unit, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office Environmental Protection Unit. “The Environmental Protection Unit will continue to aggressively prosecute those who harm our natural resources,” said District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. “This prosecution reflects our commitment to defending the environment.”
Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg announced that Pemco Services, Inc. was convicted of Texas Water Code violations relating to the operation of an oil and gas waste landfarming site in Jefferson County, Texas. The District Attorney’s Environmental Protection Unit prosecuted the case. The charges stemmed from a criminal investigation involving the application of more than 1.3 million barrels of used drilling muds onto the landfarm facility in violation of their permit. The drilling wastes contained elevated amounts of drilling mud constituents that threatened to cause and caused pollution in and around the facility. Judge Mike Lynch ordered Pemco Services, Inc. to pay fines totaling $1,350,000. The defendant has also agreed to pay $14,534.31 in restitution for lab analysis by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Laboratory. In addition, the company also spent $1.1 million to clean up the facility, which is now closed. The conviction is a culmination of the collaborative work of the Texas Environmental Task Force. Lehmberg credited the work of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Environmental Crimes Unit, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Laboratory, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Environmental Crimes Unit, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office Environmental Protection Unit. “The Environmental Protection Unit will continue to aggressively prosecute those who harm our natural resources,” said District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. “This prosecution reflects our commitment to defending the environment.”
November 2, 2012
Pemco was charged with violating state environmental regulation 7145.
Pemco pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced to pay $1.35 million in state fines and $14,534 in restitution to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
STATUTE:
- State (STATE)