Attorney General Ken Paxton has achieved a significant legal victory against environmental violations in Texas. A judgment exceeding $60 million has been secured against David Polston and his companies—Inland Environmental and Remediation, Inland Recycling, and Boundary Ventures—for illegal dumping of pollutants into Texas waterways and lands.
The issue began in 2019 when Skull Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River, became heavily polluted with chemicals, resulting in the death of fish and wildlife. The pollution was traced back to a recycling facility owned by Polston. In addition to the water contamination, authorities found unpermitted pits filled with petroleum and chemical-laden earth along with leaking chemical containers nearby. These actions were in violation of Texas environmental laws.
Attorney General Paxton took immediate legal action to halt the pollution. He led years of litigation that culminated in an agreed final judgment penalizing Polston and his businesses for their environmental misconduct. Furthermore, upon discovering that the landowner had received payment for waste disposal on the property, Paxton successfully obtained a court order mandating restoration of the polluted site.
“I will not allow rogue corporations to pollute Texas’s land and rivers by illegally dumping dangerous chemicals that kill our wildlife and hurt the environment,” stated Attorney General Paxton. “Companies that do business in Texas have a duty to take care of the land and follow the law. If you mess with Texas, you will face the consequences.”