An update on the notorious case of illegal frack wastewater dumping near Youngstown, OH that happened in 2012 and 2013. Ben Lupo, previous owner of D&L Energy and its associated company Hardrock Excavating, directed employees to dump frack wastwater hauled by Hardrock into a drain that emptied into a stream that emptied into the Mahoning River near Youngstown, OH (see Youngstown Business Dumped >200K Gal of Untreated Wastewater). It was later discovered that from September 2012 to end of January 2013, Lupo was responsible for dumping at least 30 loads of frack wastewater literally down the drain and into the river. After an investigation and charges, in August 2014 Lupo plead guilty and was sentenced to 23 months in prison and a $25,000 fine (see Final Chapter for Youngstown Illegal Wastewater Dumper: Prison & Fine). The company itself plead guilty and was fined $100,000 in May 2015 (see Hardrock Pleads Guilty to Illegal Wastewater Dumping, Fined $100K). That should have been the end of the story. But now this: Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has filed a civil lawsuit against Ben Lupo, two of his companies and three of his employees–for more than $25,000…
