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U. S. DISTRICT COURT ENTERS DEFAULT JUDGEMENT AND PENALTY AGAINST GERRY CLICK OF RUSTON, LOUISIANA

Release Date: 10/26/1999
Contact Information: Dawn Harris, EPA Media Relations, 404-562-8421

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida has entered a default judgment against Gerry Click for Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)/Underground Injection Control (UIC) violations. In the Order, the Court imposed a penalty of $768,750. The default judgement was filed against Mr. Click for failure to comply with a court order requiring that he provide factual information to the government regarding the alleged violations.

The Complaint alleged that the defendant, Gerry Click, violated the Safe Drinking Water Act in connection with his operation of an underground injection well used to dispose of brine water generated during oil and gas production. The Complaint further alleged that Mr. Click deliberately falsified information provided to EPA in order to hide the fact that the disposal well was being operated without mechanical integrity, which resulted in the release of benzene-contaminated saltwater into underground sources of drinking water.