Radioactive waste dumped on the street

[TexasTowelie]

When waste haulers don't follow the regulations of their permit,
they leak oil-based mud and spill it onto the road such as this
spill on South Hwy 281 and FM 625 in Jim Wells County.
Photo: Hector Zertuche

Radioactive waste from drilling sites is leaking and spilling onto South Texas roads while on the way to dumping sites by waste haulers in violation of state law, said McMullen County Sheriff Emmett Shelton.

Shelton said eight miles of county road was found with a stream of leaked waste that looked like burned motor oil in McMullen County. When the leaking truck was located, the hauler was found stuffing a T-shirt into the leak, he said. The case is still pending in court, but had the company not been caught the cleanup cost would have been left to the state at a price of $1,500 per hour.

Spills often require a Geiger counter due to the radioactive nature of the fluid, said Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Department’s Deputy Hector Zertuche.

Environmental impacts aren’t the only risk associated with improperly transporting or dumping waste.

More at http://mysoutex.com/view/full_story_progress/23419205/article-Radioactive-waste-dumped-on-the-street?instance=progress_regional_news .

An additional note: Penalties for not complying to hauling requirements range from $100-1,000 or up to 10 days in jail.

“The Railroad Commission said they could be cited for up to $1,000 per day for each violation, but they don’t ever do it,” Zertuche said.

[font color=green]Why would we expect anything different in this state with its "regulations be damned" attitude?
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[dipsydoodle]

1. Radioactive waste is a chemical weapon.

Just sayin'.

[mbperrin]

2. Ah, don't worry! Just yesterday on DU, I was assured that radioactive waste

from the Japanese nuclear reactor disaster was nothing!

Heck, by that standard, this waste should be served on biscuits for breakfast!