Judge rules against Patriot in OEPA dispute

Judge rules against Patriot in OEPA dispute

WARREN

Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas Judge Andrew Logan on Friday granted the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s request for dismissal in its case against Patriot Water Treatment LLC, the second legal blow to the brine-wastewater treatment plant this week.

Patriot had asked for an injunction hearing to stave off OEPA’s recent permit renewal for the City of Warren, which prevents the city from accepting treated fracking wastewater.

In the judgment entry, Logan said that OEPA’s motion to dismiss for “lack of subject matter jurisdiction” was “well taken.”

The permit, set to take effect Sunday, handcuffs Patriot’s business model.

Logan said the Environmental Review Appeals Commission is the proper entity to decide OEPA permit matters.

ERAC earlier this week denied Patriot’s request for stay, which would have put off the implementation of OEPA’s new restrictive permit.

If Warren cannot accept Patriot’s treated wastewater, the nearly one-year-old business will likely have to lay off its 25 employees.

Andrew Blocksom, Patriot’s president, did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.