Caiman Fined $224,000 For Discharge Into Fish Creek
Wheeling Intelligencer
20 January 2012
By Casey Junkis, Staff Writer
CAMERON - For allegedly creating a "brown plume of suspended
solids and sludge blanket" in Fish Creek last year, the West
Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is fining Caiman
Energy nearly $224,000.
"Caiman believes in respect for people and the environment. We
have a strong, cooperative relationship with the DEP and we're
working closely with them on this matter," said Casey Nikoloric,
Caiman's spokeswoman.
As Caiman - a company that plans to invest $1.3 billion in natural
gas processing and fractionation infrastructure in Marshall County
by the end of 2014 - continues building plants and pipelines, the
firm hired a subcontractor to perform some work last year. A DEP
report notes that in February of last year, this subcontractor
built a pipeline through an unnamed tributary to Fish Creek. This
action allegedly caused pollution in the stream.
The DEP report also states that Caiman's subcontractor allegedly
constructed a stream crossing with stream rubble and dredged
material from the creek. The company also allegedly did not
construct proper "erosion and sediment control structures."
"This is an issue that involves a contractor that is no longer
working for us and is, in fact, insolvent," said Nikoloric,
declining to name the subcontractor.