UPDATED: Ben Lupo Charged with Illegal Dumping, Pleads Not Guilty

UPDATE:  The Youngstown Vindicator has released an updated summary of the latest events in this matter.  Perhaps one of the most disturbing things to come out of the news conference this afternoon was the fact that an employee told investigators he was aware of at least 20 different incidents of illegal dumping dating back to November 2012.  It was also announced that hazardous pollutants, including benzene and toluene were found in samples from the storage tank and from the river.

Read the whole article here.

ORIGINAL POST:

From Fox Youngstown:
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio: Ben Lupo, the owner of D&L Energy and Hardrock Excavating who admitted to investigators he ordered chemically-laced brine water dumped into a storm sewer that empties into the Mahoning River, has been charged with the state’s first crimes relating to illegal dumping by the shale drilling industry. 

Lupo was brought into the U.S. District Court in Youngstown in handcuffs and street clothes for his initial appearance on a single charge of illegal dumping. He entered no plea at the hearing and waived a preliminary hearing, sending the case to a federal grand jury in Cleveland to review more charges. 

The charge carries a penalty of three years in federal prison and a $50,000 per-day fine for each day the violation occurs. Lupo told investigators in his admission that the first brine dump was in September, meaning Lupo could face as much as $1.5 million in fines. 

Lupo’s attorney, Joe Gardner, said he expects more charges to be filed after the case is reviewed by the grand jury. 
Read the rest of the story here. 

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