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The two victims — who were husband and wife — were overcome by hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous gas, due the Aghorn’s injection well’s lack of mechanical integrity. Aghorn managers dispatched Jacob Dean to check on an Aghorn pump house at one of the company’s injection wells. When Jacob’s wife, Natalee Dean, could not get in touch with Jacob by phone, she drove to the pump house, and she was overcome by the hydrogen sulfide gas when she entered the building. Both Jacob and Natalee died from exposure to the gas. At the time of their deaths, none of the eight hydrogen sulfide monitors were operational.
Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Costantini and Trial Attorney Mark Romley of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Crimes Section
Chemical Exposure
Ector
Texas
October 29, 2019
Unavailable
| First | Last | Age | Title | Employer | Injury Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob | Dean | 44 | Unavailable | Aghorn Operating Inc. | Fatality |
| Natalee | Dean | 36 | Unavailable | Unavailable | Fatality |
| Name | Type | Title | Plea Information | Conviction Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aghorn Operating Inc. | Entity | Entity | Not available | Not available |
|
Penal Crimes Charged
Aghorn was charged with three worker safety OSHA crimes for causing the death of an Aghorn employee. |
Other Crimes Charged
Obstruction of OSHA proceedings for making false statements on forms documenting the mechanical integrity of Aghorn's injection wells; violations of the Clean Air Act for knowingly releasing hydrogen sulfide, a hazardous substance, into the air; failure to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. |
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| Trent Day | Individual | Vice President | Not available | Not available |
|
Penal Crimes Charged
Not available |
Other Crimes Charged
Obstruction of OSHA proceedings for making false statements on forms documenting the mechanical integrity of Aghorn's injection wells; violations of the Clean Air Act for knowingly releasing hydrogen sulfide, a hazardous substance, into the air; failure to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. |
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