MARCH 23, 2015
MERCER, PENNSYLVANIA
Arraignment is scheduled May 5 in Mercer County Common Pleas
Court for a New Castle energy company that is already facing fines for a deadly
explosion in Pymatuning Township.
The Reed Oil Company is charged with two criminal counts of
violating the Pennsylvania Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act. A district magistrate found enough evidence to
hold the case for the higher court.
A criminal complaint originally filed in Greenville alleges
that Reed Oil violated the law by hiring Brian Krauss to perform welding work
on a storage tank, which exploded on August 19, 2013 at Reed Oil's off-road
facility in Pymatuning Township.
Investigators say that Krauss, who died in the blast, was
not certified to perform the welding work.
The complaint also alleges that Reed Oil had not had the
Department of Environmental Protection inspect the tanks in ten years.
The charges are misdemeanors of the third degree. A
conviction could bring a maximum fine of $2,500 and not more than one year in
jail.
The DEP has already fined Reed Oil $62,470 for 21 violations
of the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act.
The explosion caused a spill which contaminated nearby soil.
Reed Oil and its affiliated companies have received other
violations and fines from DEP over the past several years, all for violations
of the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act.
The $62,470 penalty will be paid to the Storage Tank Fund,
which funds the administration of the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act.
Reed Oil Company has the right to appeal the fine to the
Environmental Quality Board.