Buckeye Reporter

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is seeking legal action against Austin Master Services, an oil and gas waste services company, for environmental violations. Yost aims to halt the illegal storage of excess quantities of brine and drilling waste at the company's facility in Martins Ferry.

In a statement, Attorney General Yost expressed concern over the situation, stating, "This company’s negligence is threatening to put Ohio communities and our natural resources in jeopardy." He emphasized the urgency of the matter by adding, "We are acting quickly to try to prevent a big environmental mess."

The complaint filed in Belmont County Common Pleas Court accuses Austin Master Services of accumulating dangerous waste materials in volumes exceeding those permitted by the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management. The proximity of the facility to the Ohio River and a drinking water well field raises significant concerns about potential environmental hazards and risks to public health.

Yost is pushing for immediate corrective actions from the company, including reducing waste to permitted levels, proper disposal of all waste materials, and compliance with radiation protection protocols. Despite previous orders from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Austin Master Services has failed to clean up the site, further exacerbating the environmental risks.

The Attorney General's Office, in collaboration with ODNR, is committed to safeguarding Ohio's environment and public health in the face of such violations.

For media inquiries, please contact Hannah Hundley at 614-906-9113.