Man Accused of Illegally Dumping Brine

A Lycoming County man was charged today by agents from the Attorney General's Environmental Crimes Protection Section with illegally dumping well production water - commonly known as brine.

Attorney General Linda Kelly identified the defendant as John Elwood Marsh, 47, 6 Drake Lane, Jersey Shore, Lycoming County. Marsh is a tanker truck driver for Gas Field Specialists, Inc., which is a subcontractor to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.

Kelly said that Marsh is responsible for hauling "gas buster tanks," which are tanks used to hold gas well production water (brine) after it is extracted from wells.

According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 1, 2012 Marsh's truck became caught in the mud along a rural road in Clinton County causing his gas buster tank to become stuck in a ditch. In order to lighten the tanks and try and move the trailer from the ditch Marsh allegedly opened a discharge valve on the back of the trailer.

The charges state that the valve, which was open for approximately five minutes, spilled 200 gallons of brine discharge onto the ground. Laboratory analysis by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as well as the Department of Environmental Protection showed elevated chloride and barium levels in the soil.

Marsh is charged with two counts of unlawful conduct under Pennsylvania?s Solid Waste Management Act.

He will be prosecuted in Clinton County by Deputy Attorney General Amy Carnicella of the Attorney General's Environmental Crimes Section.

Kelly thanked the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for their assistance with the investigation.

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