A truck driver was arrested last weekend after a rancher caught him dumping saltwater in his fields because the driver was “sick of waiting.”
The incident happened on June 3rd in Dunn County, North Dakota.
According to My ND News, rancher Shane Dolezal and his wife Sheralee were checking up on their fields and cattle when they saw a semi tanker truck stopped at the edge of their property.
“As I asked him to get out, and I asked him ‘what are you doing,” explained Dolezal.
“He said ‘nothing’. And I said no . . you’re dumping saltwater.”
Truck driver George Baker Jr., who worked for SBT trucking at the time of the incident, had released approximately 3,150 gallons of salt water into Dolezal’s fields, allowing it to seep up to 15 feet underground, which will put the 2 acres of hay fields out of production for at least a year.
“It probably won’t be back in production for another year. . . depends on weather, rain,” Dolezal said.
Baker was promptly arrested by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department and charged with a Class C felony for Violation of the Rules and Regulations of the North Dakota Industrial Commission. Once taken into custody, Baker explained to the sheriff’s deputy that he dumped the water in the fields because he was “sick of waiting for trucks to unload at the saltwater disposal” located just south of Halliday and that he “had been getting paid per load . . . sitting was cutting into getting money”.
“We get paid for waiting in line. . . there is no excuse, ” claimed Porterfield after hearing of Baker’s excuse.
“I agree with jail time, but he should also be responsible for the cost of the cleanup, as well as, any lost hay this farmer is going to lose, ” Porterfield continued.
SBT trucking is currently working to restore the Dolezal’s land, removing the contaminated soil and replacing it with new dirt in an attempt to reverse the damage. The restoration is estimated to cost around $500,000 once completed and is expected to take up to three weeks.
At present, the maximum fine Baker could receive in the state of North Dakota is a $12,500 fine a day for each incident.
Baker has since been released on $1,500 cash bond and SBT trucking assures the public that this was an “isolated incident.”
