WILLIAMSPORT – The Department of Environmental Protection has fined William Gourley, of Curwensville, Clearfield County, $7,500 for illegally storing and disposing vegetable oil in Pike Township, also in Clearfield County.
“Mr. Gourley had a large amount of waste vegetable oil on his property, some of which leaked and contaminated the soil,” said DEP Northcentral Regional Director Robert Yowell. “He has signed a legal agreement that requires a complete and proper cleanup of the property within six months.”
A DEP inspection in March at the Pike Township property revealed 122 55-gallon containers, four large plastic containers, and more than 1,000 5-gallon containers, all of which appeared to contain waste vegetable oil. Some of the containers were broken open and leaking vegetable oil onto the ground forming pools.
Gourley told DEP inspectors that the waste vegetable oil had been collected to produce biodiesel, but that production had stopped more than a year ago.
In response to a DEP notice of violation letter, Gourley performed some work at the site consolidating the oil and spreading sawdust on the pools of oil, but did not finish the cleanup.
The improper storage and leaking vegetable oil were violations of the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act.
Gourley was cited by DEP in September 2007 for similar violations at a commercial property in Curwensville.
The legal agreement requires Gourley to contain all leaking oil within one week; remove all oil within 45 days; and remove 100 tons of oil-contaminated soil and sawdust each month. The work is to be completed within six months.
Gourley paid $500 upon signing the agreement and will pay the remaining fine in 14 monthly installments of $500 to the Solid Waste Abatement Fund. The fund pays for cleanups across the state.
For more information, call 570-327-3659 or visit here, keyword: Waste management.