A Lovington trucking company planned to appeal fines it was issued by New Mexico’s Oil Conservation Division (OCD) after allegations that the company dumped produced water from a truck onto State Trust land in a remote area of Lea County.
The civil penalty marked the first issued by the State after the OCD was granted the power to do so by lawmakers earlier this year.
On March 4, a rancher in the area reported the incident to the State, including the license plate number and photos of the alleged dumping, said Susan Torres, spokesperson for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) – the parent agency of the OCD.
A month later on June 4, a civil penalty was issued against Windmill Trucking for $8,700 and against the operator that contracted Windmill to dispose of its water, Advanced Energy Partners (AEP), for another $7,600.
Source: Carlsbad Current-Argus