Three Arrested In Dumping Of Oil In Cherokee County Creek

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) _ Three members of a family face charges stemming from the dumping of motor oil into a creek that flows into the Illinois River. <br/><br/>Ronnie Rush, his wife, Marguerite, and their

Saturday, November 25th 2006, 7:21 am

By: News On 6

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) _ Three members of a family face charges stemming from the dumping of motor oil into a creek that flows into the Illinois River.

Ronnie Rush, his wife, Marguerite, and their 20-year-old son, Richard Rush, entered pleas on Monday to felony charges of disposing of a pollutant in state waters. They were released on $5,000 bail.

According to tests conducted by the state Department of Environmental Quality, soil in a creekbed behind the Rushes' home contained petroleum contamination nearly five-thousand times the amount allowed before an environmental cleanup effort is required.

Compliance officer Billy Blair says he has received complaints about the Rush home because it had about 20 cars in the front yard.

According to Blair, city workers removed about 100 tires from the creek and discovered an area blackened with oil and transmission fluid.

The Rushes deny they were running an auto repair business or disposing of oil illegally.