Crackdown Nabs 1,066 Trucks
Washington PA Observer Reporter
10 November 2010
Associated Press
HARRISBURG - About three out of every four trucks were cited for
violations last month during an enforcement effort for vehicles hauling
gas-drilling wastewater, the Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday.
Citations were issued for 1,066 of the more than 1,400 trucks inspected
by the state police and Department of Environmental Protection across
the state Oct. 25-27.
State police placed 207 trucks and 52 drivers out of service. The most
common citations were for unsecured loads and lights or lamps that were
not working.
Most of the "Operation FracNET" checks were performed by state police
teams that examined brakes, lights, other safety equipment and driver's
licenses.
The Department of Environmental Protection inspected 254 trucks for
weight, load security and waste-hauling paperwork; it issued 65
violation notices and nine citations. The state police and DEP signed
an agreement in September that increased funding so that roadside
inspections can occur more frequently.
"These inspections are crucial because they ensure that wastewater
haulers are working to comply with the commonwealth's environmental
regulations and are keeping our roadways safe for other drivers," said
DEP Secretary John Hanger. "Taking the time to do so now will go a long
way toward making a positive difference as drilling continues."
The inspections occurred in areas that have seen significant drilling
into the Marcellus Shale formation that runs beneath the state.
Extracting the gas from the shale involves pumping massive quantities
of chemical-laced water into the ground to fracture the rock. Tanker
trucks are needed to haul the liquid and waste to and from the drilling
sites.
Inspections focused on the far southwestern and northeastern parts of
the state, the northern tier counties that run along and north of
Interstate 80 and the coal regions north of Wilkes-Barre.
Similar enforcement efforts in June and earlier in October also
resulted in hundreds of citations and hundreds of vehicles being idled.