Well drilling contractors have permits pulled

Southeast Missourian

Three well drilling contractors from Perryville and one from Marble Hill are listed among the 70 well drillers across the state the Department of Natural Resources says are no longer permitted to work in Missouri.

According to the DNR, their permits were pulled for such reasons as a change in occupation or job duties failure to apply for a renewal, or they may have had their permit revoked for violating the Water well Drillers Act.

The local well drillers currently on the list are: Dennis Long, Jr., of Marble Hill; Wayne Winkler, Paul Findlay and Jason Bey, all of Perryville.

The Well Drillers Act became effective in 1986. It establishes minimum well construction standards and requires contractors to be permitted by the state. The law was created to protect Missouri groundwater from contamination resulting from improperly constructed wells that may act as conduits for contaminants such as septic tank effluent.

Contaminated groundwater exposes Missourians to serious health risks that can result from water borne diseases such as typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, hepatitis and giardiasis.