Hart Co. petroleum company fined for illegally discharging oil, gas production byproduct into ‘unpermitted well’

A Hart County petroleum company has been fined $100,000 for illegally discharging fluids.

On Thursday, Logsdon Valley Oil Co. (aka Hart Petroleum) was given three years of probation and a $100,000 fine for discharging “produced fluid also known as brine water from oil and gas production into sinkholes without a permit in violation of the Safe Water Drinking Act,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.

This marks the second time the company has been found in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as it was previously convicted of multiple violations in 2013.

“Illegally injecting brine water into an unpermitted well violates the Safe Drinking Water Act and threatens the quality of groundwater,” said Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Leslie Carroll. “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.”

This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division.

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com