Ohio AG Filed Lawsuit against Company for Illegally Storing Excessive Dangerous and Radioactive Waste

MARCH 26, 2024

In March 2024, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced that his office filed a complaint against Austin Master Services, an oil and gas waste services company, for illegally storing brine and drilling waste, some of which is radioactive, at quantities beyond what its permits allow. As AG Yost explained in his complaint, the facility’s proximity to the Ohio River and a a drinking water well field (both within 1,000 feet of where the excessive waste is being illegally stored) puts public health and the surrounding environment at risk. AG Yost also requested a temporary restraining order against the company.

The court granted the restraining order, and set a deadline for the company to correct the violations. In May 2024, after the company failed to meet the deadline and the state’s Department of Natural Resources had to step in to clean up the waste, AG Yost filed an amended complaint listing Austin Master Services’ parent company and its CFO as defendants. In the amended complaint, the AG asked the court to hold the company in contempt and sought to be reimbursed by the company for cleanup costs.