STATE OF INDIANA

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SS:

BEFORE THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF

 

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COUNTY OF MARION

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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

 

COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT

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OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT,

 

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Complainant,

 

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v.

 

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Case No. 2018-25607-S

 

 

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MOB Carriers, INc. d/b/a tx loadrunners,

 

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Respondent.

 

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AGREED ORDER

 

Complainant and Respondent[s] desire to settle and compromise this action without hearing or adjudication of any issue of fact or law, and consent to the entry of the following Findings of Fact and Order. Pursuant to IC 13-30-3-3, entry into the terms of this Agreed Order does not constitute an admission of any violation contained herein. Respondent’s entry into this Agreed Order shall not constitute a waiver of any defense, legal or equitable, which Respondent may have in any future administrative or judicial proceeding, except a proceeding to enforce this order.

 

I.  FINDINGS OF FACT

 

1.               Complainant is the Commissioner (“Complainant”) of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (“IDEM”), a department of the State of Indiana created by Indiana Code (“IC”) 13-13-1-1.

 

2.               Respondent is MOB Carriers, Inc. d/b/a TX Loadrunners (“Respondent”), which owns/operates the company with United States Department of Transportation (“DOT”) ID No. 2078484, located at 11016 S Pipeline Rd, in Euless, Texas.

 

3.               IDEM has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter of this action.

 

4.               Respondent owns and/or operates a company with U.S. DOT number 2078484, located at 11016 S Pipeline Rd in Euless, Texas.

 

 

5.               Pursuant to IC 13-30-3-3, IDEM issued a Notice of Violation (“NOV”) on via Certified Mail to:

 

Rashid Jingo, President

Ahmed Musa, Registered Agent

MOB Carriers, Inc.

MOB Carriers, Inc.

d/b/a TX Loadrunners

d/b/a TX Loadrunners

12929 Chittamwood Trail

11016 S Pipeline Rd

Euless, TX 76040

Euless, TX 76040

 

6.       Respondent’s semi-truck crashed the evening of June 11, 2018 at Exit 149A on I-70 in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana. IDEM received prompt notice from the county EMA Director, and a spill contractor was onsite within a few hours. This IDEM response is referred to as incident #81570.

 

7.       During an investigation on June 12, 2018 conducted by a representative of IDEM, the following violations were found:

 

a.       Pursuant to 327 Indiana Administrative Code (“IAC”) 2-1-6(a)(1), all surface waters at all times and at all places including the mixing zone, shall meet the minimum conditions of being free from substances, materials, floating debris, oil, or scum attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural, and other land use practices, or other discharges that do any of the following:

 

(A)           will settle to form putrescent or otherwise objectionable deposits;

(B)           are in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious;

(C)           produce color, visible oil sheen, odor, or other conditions in such degree as to create a nuisance;

(D)           are in concentrations or combinations that will cause or contribute to the   growth of aquatic plants or algae to such degree as to create a nuisance, be   unsightly, or otherwise impair the designated uses; and

(E)           are in amounts sufficient to be acutely toxic to, or to otherwise severely injure or kill aquatic life, other animals, plants, or humans.

 

As noted during the investigation on June 12, 2018, Respondent allowed approximately 1,000 gallons of Texapon ALS Benz to spill into Clear Creek, a water of the state, that was in an amount sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious, that produced color, odor, or other conditions in such a degree to create a nuisance, and/or which was in amounts to be acutely toxic to, or otherwise severely injure or kill aquatic life, or other animals, plants, or humans.  The origin of the spill was Respondent’s overturned semi-truck the evening of June 11, 2018. The next morning there was significant foaming in the highway drainage and into Clear Creek, a water of the state, resulting in a major fish kill.

 

b.       Pursuant to Indiana Code (“IC”) 13-18-4-5(a), a person may not throw, run, drain, or otherwise dispose into any waters, any organic or inorganic matter that causes or contributes to a polluted condition of any waters of Indiana, as determined by 327 IAC 2, a rule of the board adopted under IC 13-18-4-1 and IC 13-18-4-3.

 

As noted during the investigation on June 12, 2018, Respondent’s overturned semi-truck spilled approximately 1,000 gallons of Texapon ALS Benz into a highway drainage and subsequently into approximately four (4) miles of Clear Creek, a water of the state, resulting in a major fish kill.

 

8.       In recognition of the settlement reached, Respondent waives any right to administrative and judicial review of this Agreed Order.

 

II.  ORDER

 

1.               This Agreed Order shall be effective (“Effective Date”) when it is approved by Complainant or Complainant’s delegate, and has been received by Respondent. This Agreed Order shall have no force or effect until the Effective Date.

 

2.               Respondent shall comply with the statute, and rule listed in the findings above.

 

3.               Respondent is assessed and agrees to pay a civil penalty of seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500). Said penalty amount shall be due and payable to the Environmental Management Special Fund in four (4) installments. The first installment of one thousand eight hundred seventy five dollars ($1,875) shall be paid within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date; the 30th day being the “Due Date”. Subsequent installments of one thousand eight hundred seventy five dollars ($1,875) shall be paid within one hundred twenty (120) days of the Effective Date, two hundred ten (210) days of the Effective Date, and three hundred sixty-five (365) days of the Effective Date.

 

4.               Civil and stipulated penalties are payable by check to the “Environmental Management Special Fund.” Checks shall include the Case Number of this action and shall be mailed to:

 

Indiana Department of Environmental Management

Office of Legal Counsel

IGCN, Room N1307

100 North Senate Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

5.               In the event that the monies due to IDEM pursuant to this Agreed Order are not paid on or before their Due Date, Respondent shall pay interest on the unpaid balance at the rate established by IC 24-4.6-1. The interest shall be computed as having accrued from the Due Date until the date that Respondent pays any unpaid balance. Such interest shall be payable to the Environmental Management Special Fund, and shall be payable to IDEM in the manner specified in Paragraph 4, above.

 

6.               This Agreed Order shall apply to and be binding upon Respondent and its successors and assigns. Respondent’s signatories to this Agreed Order certify that they are fully authorized to execute this Agreed Order and legally bind the party they represent.  No change in ownership, corporate, or partnership status of Respondent shall in any way alter its status or responsibilities under this Agreed Order.

 

7.               In the event that any terms of this Agreed Order are found to be invalid, the remaining terms shall remain in full force and effect and shall be construed and enforced as if this Agreed Order did not contain the invalid terms.

 

8.               Respondent shall provide a copy of this Agreed Order, if in force, to any subsequent owners or successors before ownership rights are transferred. Respondent shall ensure that all contractors, firms and other persons performing work under this Agreed Order comply with the terms of this Agreed Order.

 

9.               This Agreed Order is not and shall not be interpreted to be a permit or a modification of an existing permit. This Agreed Order, and IDEM’s review or approval of any submittal made by Respondent pursuant to this Agreed Order, shall not in any way relieve Respondent of its obligation to comply with the requirements of its applicable permits or any applicable Federal or State law or regulation.

 

10.           Complainant does not, by its approval of this Agreed Order, warrant or aver in any manner that Respondent’s compliance with any aspect of this Agreed Order will result in compliance with the provisions of any permit, order, or any applicable Federal or State law or regulation. Additionally, IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf shall not be held liable for any costs or penalties Respondent may incur as a result of Respondent’s efforts to comply with this Agreed Order.

 

11.           Nothing in this Agreed Order shall prevent or limit IDEM’s rights to obtain penalties or injunctive relief under any applicable Federal or State law or regulation, except that IDEM may not, and hereby waives its right to, seek additional civil penalties for the same violations specified in the NOV.

 

12.           Nothing in this Agreed Order shall prevent IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf from communicating with the EPA or any other agency or entity about any matters relating to this enforcement action.  IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf shall not be held liable for any costs or penalties Respondent may incur as a result of such communications with EPA or any other agency or entity.

 

13.           This Agreed Order shall remain in effect until IDEM issues a Resolution of Case letter to Respondent.

 

TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATION:

RESPONDENT:

Department of Environmental Management

 

 

 

By: _________________________

By:  _________________________

 

Nancy Johnston, Section Chief

 

 

Enforcement Section

Printed: ______________________

Office of Land Quality

 

 

Title: ________________________

 

 

Date: __________________

Date: _______________________

 

 

 

 

 

COUNSEL FOR RESPONDENT:

 

 

 

 

 

By: ________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: ______________________

 

APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL

MANAGEMENT THIS

______

DAY OF

________________________, 20_____.

 

 

For the Commissioner:

 

 

 

3/14/19___________________

 

Peggy Dorsey, Assistant Commissioner

 

Office of Land Quality