June 18, 2004

The Department of Environmental Quality has announced that Walter B. Sappington, owner of Sappington Crude Oil Inc., has pled guilty to two counts of abandoning oil production wells in Cass and Newaygo Counties. Each of these counts is a misdemeanor that carries a possible penalty of a $1,000 fine and costs of prosecution.

Pursuant to a plea agreement reached between Mr. Sappington and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, the defendant will pay a total of $14,293.37 in fines, costs, and restitution. The total payment includes $2200 for criminal fines and court costs; $4,093.37 to the DEQ for criminal investigative costs; and $8,000 in penalties. The 78th District Court placed Mr. Sappington on a 90-day suspended sentence.

Mr. Sappington has agreed to plug, or economically produce within two years, the seven oil production wells in Cass and Newaygo Counties. Mr. Sappington was required to provide the DEQ with a plan that identifies which wells will be plugged and which wells will be put back into economic production within 14 days of entry of the plea agreement.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

Revised June 18, 2004 by Pat Watson