The Ohio EPA on Wednesday turned over of $2.3 million in civil penalties against the owners of the Rover pipeline enforcement to the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
WKSU’s Jeff St.Clair reports on the latest in ongoing disputes with the pipeline operators.
Ohio EPA Director Craig Butler says he had no choice but to bring -in the state attorney general’s office to force a settlement with Energy Transfer Partners, and other owners of the Rover pipeline over civil penalties.
He says Rover has logged dozens of environmental violations, including open burning, a massive spill in a sensitive wetland and dumping drilling mud mixed with diesel fuel in a quarry near where Canton draws its drinking water.
At an event Wednesday on the banks of the Cuyahoga River, Butler said the fines against Rover kept snowballing.
“As time goes by it went from $400,000 to $900,000 and now we believe it’s justified to ask for a $2.3 million penalty.”
Butler says Rover’s owners have refused to pay any penalties but that clean-up of contaminated sites has gone forward.
