208 Trucks Out of Service After Safety Enforcement Effort
Washington
PA Observer Reporter
8
October 2010
State police placed 208 trucks out of service during a three-day
enforcement effort that focused on commercial vehicles hauling
wastewater from Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling operations in the
state, Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski announced today.
"Pennsylvania is experiencing heavy truck traffic in areas where
Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling operations are taking place,
particularly in Bradford, Clearfield, Susquehanna, Tioga and Washington
counties," Pawlowski said.
"The process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, requires significant
amounts of water to be delivered to the sites and later trucked away."
Pawlowski said 140 of the vehicles placed out of service were trucks
hauling waste water from the drilling operations.
In total, 1,135 trucks were inspected during "Operation FracNET," which
was conducted Sept. 27-29. In addition to placing vehicles out of
service, state police also issued 959 citations and placed 64 drivers
out of service. The most common problems involved faulty brakes,
exterior lighting issues and hauling permit violations.
In Troop B , which takes in Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington
counties, there were 343 inspections, 60 vehicles placed out of service
and 168 citations.