The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday said it has fined Washita Valley Enterprises Inc. of Ulster $53,344 for repeated residual waste violations at the company’s well pipe and casing reconditioning facility in Sheshequin Township, Bradford County.

“This company was operating in a manner that did not adhere to our residual waste regulations and threatened the environment,” said DEP Northcentral Regional Director Marcus Kohl. “Our staff continued to find violations nearly four months after a notice of violation letter was sent to the company, and this lack of effort to comply is unacceptable.”

Department staff conducted an inspection at the business in April 2014, and discovered waste sandblasting abrasive being disposed on the ground, and unlabeled drums of residual waste and waste cutting oil spilled on the ground.

Washita also failed to submit a biennial report and a chemical analysis of its waste streams as required by the Chapter 287 residual waste regulations.

The department issued a notice of violation letter to Washita on May 1, 2014 requiring correction of the violations but an August 20, 2014 inspection found sandblasting abrasive continuing to be disposed on the ground.

A second notice of violation letter was sent on August 28, 2014. The violations were found to be corrected by DEP staff in February 2015.

For more information, call the Northcentral Regional Office at 570-327-3636.

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