WESTERN PA. Investigation of dumped booze may lead to fine

MEYERSDALE, Pa. (AP) -- Pennsylvania environmental officials are considering levying fines and other penalties against whoever dumped more than 145,000 cases of a stagnant malt beverage at a western Pennsylvania farm.
Thousands of cases of discontinued Captain Morgan Gold were found piled on a farm in Elk Lick Township, about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, near the Maryland border.
State environmental officials discovered the 2,000 tons of abandoned booze and packing material in May. Whitsel declined to say how they found out about the dumped beverage.
Environmental officials began routinely inspecting the farm after thousands of telephone poles and railroad ties were found dumped there last summer.
According to Whitsel, the beverage was discontinued in August by London-based Diageo, which hired Houston-based shipping company Satellite Logistics to dispose of some of the 4 million cases left over.
Somerset-based Iser Resources and Procurement then convinced Satellite Logistics it had a permit to dispose of the beverage, which was made at a plant in Allentown, Whitsel said. It has no such permit, he said.
Whitsel said Diageo likely will not face sanctions because it contracted out the disposal.
After discovering the illegal dumping, state environmental officials said Satellite Logistics cleaned up the mess within a week.