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County files lawsuit against company for dumping in landfill
[October 01, 2012]

County files lawsuit against company for dumping in landfill


Sep 29, 2012 (Odessa American - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Ector County has filed a lawsuit against a West Texas company after, court documents state, drivers of the business dumped solid waste in an unlicensed and unlined landfill in West Odessa.



The lawsuit also asks for a temporary injunction against the company dumping, claiming tires added to the site will be a potential breeding ground for West Nile Virus.

Arnulfo Aranda, owner of Aranda's Trucking, LLC, and Luis Deras, were listed as defendants in the lawsuit filed Friday in Travis County by Daniel Ray of Scott, Money, Ray & Thomas.


On Sept. 22, Edmundo Ramos, a driver for Aranda's Trucking, was seen at the landfill located in the southeast corner of North Butterfield Avenue and West 57th Street, the lawsuit states. While dumping trash from a dump-truck labeled "Aranda's trucking," the vehicle got stuck in a large pile of trash, the lawsuit states.

Ramos spoke with investigators and said the company had been dumping trash in the landfill, owned by Deras, for "sometime" with permission, the affidavit states. Aranda arrived on the scene and told investigators his company had been dumping in the pit, and that he "did not know it was illegal," the affidavit stated.

Ramos was transported to the Ector County Detention Center Tuesday on an illegal dumping for commercial purposes charge, a class 'A' misdemeanor. He was released Wednesday on a $1,000 bond.

Aranda could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

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