Protestors allege the documents show companies with some owners in common with O&G owners were cited for not complying with Arkansas laws while operating a soil farms there.
The judge said he had received about 150 pages of documents from the ADEQ, but as requested by Cheri Wheeler, attorney for O&G, had not read them yet, he said at the hearing on Friday.
O&G has applied for a permit to dispose of salt water drilling waste near Keota which would require setting up a retention pond to store the waste before it is spread on the ground.
Protesters to the application include Doy Wilkins of Sallisaw, who owns land next to the proposed soil farm. In his protest, Wilkins wrote: “O&G Disposal Solutions is one of five LLCs belonging to a group at 809 Highway 323 South, Searcy, AR 72143. Two of these LLC’s permits were revoked by Arkansas Department of Quality. Another LLC application was denied. These persons are significantly able to influence the practices of this facility. There is a documented history of violations and non-compliance of Arkansas environmental laws and a pattern of disregard for state laws and regulations. Results of dead livestock and fish were found.”
The 15-minute hearing, at the Corporation Commission offices in Oklahoma City, was preceded by a private meeting between the judge and attorneys that lasted approximately 55 minutes.
Wheeler requested time to prepare briefs concerning the merits and admissibility of each ADEQ document. Administrative law judge David Leavitt agreed and told Wheeler and attorney Camp Bonds, Jr. of Muskogee, who represents the landowners Lawrence Burris and Wilkins, that Wheeler’s brief was due by April 30 and Bonds would have five days to submit a responsive brief.
Leavitt also agreed to allow Wheeler to also provide documents not in the ADEQ packet as part of her brief. Leavitt said a hearing could be held, if necessary, to provide testimony from rebuttal witnesses.
A call to Bonds was not returned by press time.
