HARRISBURG, PA — Two companies are facing felony and misdemeanor charges related to the alleged improper storage and disposal of hazardous waste at a Beaver County facility, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office said.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, One Brewery Place, Inc. and M. Ultra Investment Group, LTD were charged this week with a felony count related to hazardous waste management, along with multiple related misdemeanors.
Investigators said chemicals tied to company work projects were stored for years at the Pool Doctor facility on New York Avenue in Rochester. Authorities allege the materials eventually became hazardous waste and posed risks to nearby residents and the Ohio River.
According to investigators, the companies allegedly failed to properly manage and dispose of the chemicals and did not obtain required permits for storage or disposal.
The Attorney General’s Office reported that cleanup efforts to remove and safely dispose of the materials exceeded $2.4 million.
Attorney General Dave Sunday said, “For years, these businesses willfully ignored potential dangers associated with the storage of these chemicals, putting a community at risk, and ultimately burdening taxpayers with a mammoth bill related to cleanup efforts. Every Pennsylvanian has a right to clean water and air, and the conduct involved here threatened those rights.”
According to the investigation, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection received a complaint in early 2019 about a strong chemical odor at the facility. Authorities said a partially collapsed roof allowed rainwater to mix with stored chemicals, raising concerns about runoff entering the Ohio River.
During cleanup operations, investigators reported that two separate chemical fires occurred, prompting shelter-in-place orders in the Borough of Rochester.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 30.
All suspects, arrestees, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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