Glynis Board Published

Wetzel County Landfill Sues Waste Authority Head

Drill cuttings dumped at West Virginia landfill.
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The operating company of a landfill in Wetzel County is suing a member of the county’s solid waste authority for slowing its ability to accept horizontal drilling waste. 

Bill Hughes, chairman of the Wetzel County Solid Waste Authority, is being sued by the company that operates the Wetzel County landfill because of a petition filed with the Public Service Commission. The petition is interrupting the landfill’s application to dedicate portions of the landfill to Marcellus Shale drilling waste.

The complaint says Hughes acted on behalf of the authority without the express permission of the authority. It accuses Hughes of acting on his own to advance his own political agenda, as Hughes is an outspoken opponent of gas drilling practices. Hughes’ attourney said in a public meeting last night that they intend to file a motion to dismiss the case.

Lackawanna Transport Company is the legal owner of the Wetzel County Landfill, which is near New Martinsville. The company offers no comment on the pending federal suit. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on February 22nd.