MADIGAN FILES LAWSUIT OVER WHITE COUNTY OIL SPILL

Attorney General Madigan Requests Immediate Relief to Ensure Cleanup

Chicago – Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced she has filed a lawsuit against TrueFlo Solutions LLC over an oil spill in rural White County. Madigan also filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction order to require the company to continue and improve cleanup operations.

Madigan filed the complaint and motion for preliminary injunction in White County Circuit Court against TrueFlo Solutions LLC (TrueFlo) over an oil spill that contaminated a creek that is a tributary to Lick Creek and the Little Wabash River. The spill originated from TrueFlo’s commercial saltwater disposal facility, at 1024 Illinois Highway 1, in Carmi, Ill. The facility accepts water containing saltwater brine and crude oil, which is a result of the oil production process.

According to Madigan’s complaint, officials from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) traced a crude oil spill to TrueFlo’s on-site pump house in August. TrueFlo disposes of saltwater brine from oil production by receiving the water created during production from off-site fields, separating out the brine and then transferring the brine from the facility’s storage tanks to the pump house, where it is pumped into an underground injection well. Investigators found a trail of crude oil and damp soil at the pump house, which led to the creek.
 
“I filed the lawsuit to protect the health and safety of nearby residents and ensure that TrueFlo cleans up the contamination it caused,” Madigan said.

Madigan’s motion for preliminary injunction asks the court to ensure that cleanup work continues 24-hours a day and to require the company to compile a list of all residents and property owners who could be impacted by the spill. The motion also requests that TrueFlo retain and work with a contractor specializing in crude oil remediation to determine the extent of the contamination, document cleanup efforts and develop plans for continued remediation. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and asks that the company be required to conduct sampling and provide status updates to the Madigan’s office and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Assistant Attorneys General Rachel Medina and Brian Navarrete are handling the case for Madigan’s Environmental Bureau.

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