Bruce Pasfield was quoted in a Shreveport Times article discussing Alston & Bird client CCS Midstream Services LLC’s corporate turnaround at its Haynesville Shale gas waste water treatment facility. The company is currently involved in a new “game changing” and environmentally friendly recycling system that recycles waste water from gas well drilling. In the article, Pasfield explained that CCS acquired the facility in 2006, because it was "positioned right" in the heart of the Haynesville Shale play and because the economics of the operation looked "pretty good." "[The general manager] had been operating for three years and had a pretty good stable of customers that were coming in and bringing him oil and gas production waste and, from the outside, it looked like he was able to treat the stuff right.” After acquisition, an employee came forward and disclosed that he had been instructed to illegally discharge waste water by the prior general manager. The company immediately hired Alston & Bird to conduct an internal investigation.
Based on the investigation, Alston & Bird lawyers helped the company make a voluntary disclosure to EPA and have since guided it through the government's ensuing criminal and civil investigations. Full remediation has been performed at the site and the company is now involved in testing the new technology. Because of CCS's voluntary disclosure and cooperation with the government, it has avoided criminal liability. The prior general manager and his son now face federal charges for the illegal dumping and other violations, with a trial set for October.