Man Sentenced for Disposal of Hazardous Wastes

LUFKIN — A 49-year-old Lufkin man has been sentenced for disposing of hazardous wastes without a permit. David Overdorf pleaded guilty on March 18, 2011 and was fined $50,000. Overdorf was also sentenced to five years probation with six months of home confinement.

Overdorf was the former owner and president of H.O.T. Transport, Inc., a Lufkin-based chemical transportation business which offered commercial transportation of industrial liquids such as caustics, ethanol, methanol, hot wax, cresol, and formaldehyde. During the normal course of business, Overdorf directed HOT employees to wash out the interiors of trailer mounted tanks at HOT’s place of business knowing that the tanks contained hazardous wastes.

On March 10, 2006, Overdorf directed a HOT employee to transport approximately 45,000 tons of tank wash wastewater containing hazardous wastes in a trailer mounted tank from the business to Quala Wash in Houston for disposal and authorized payment of $450 to Clinton Promise for the disposal.

As part of his plea agreement with the government, Overdorf has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine. He must also hire an independent environmental engineering firm within four weeks to determine the full extent of soil contamination at HOT’s former business site. Overdorf must also spend up to $250,000 towards the costs of cleaning up any contamination left at the site. HOT is no longer in business.