On March 10th, Texas residents witnessed a truck
illegally dumping hazardous fracking chemicals:
Under the cover of early-morning darkness in South Texas last March, a tanker truck ferrying fluids from an oil and gas drilling site rumbled down a country road spewing its toxic load all over the place.
The concoction of drilling fluid, which typically includes undisclosed and dangerous chemicals, oil, metals shavings and naturally occurring radioactive materials, coated eight miles of roadway, according to a Karnes County Sheriff's Department report obtained by InsideClimate News.
The spill has prompted an investigation by the sheriff's department, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the state Railroad Commission.
After investigating, On Point Services LLC was eventually identified as the offending company and after failing to report or properly respond to the spill, the local sheriff wants to see more than just
civil charges filed against the company:
Karnes County Sheriff Dwayne Villanueva said he will ask county prosecutors to file a criminal complaint against On Point Services LLC after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Texas Railroad Commission close their civil cases against the company.
This illegal dumping was witnessed by residents on March 10, in the dark of night, but they followed the truck and captured it on video.
Footage of residents following the truck can be seen here: