There have been several misconceptions regarding our past and how the company was formed. Since we are knowledgeable about our past, we wanted to clarify several items that have been shared.
Austin Master Services is an environmental remediation company specializing in the management and disposal of radioactive waste from the oil and gas industry.
Based in Pottstown, Pa., we have 25 years of expertise in this highly regulated field and serve corporate and government clients in 10 states.
We opened a facility in Ohio with the encouragement of state authorities. At the time, waste from the oil and natural gas industry was a problem. It sometimes ended up in landfills improperly as well as in water retention ponds and farm fields or was abandoned on sites and in warehouses in untreated or unprocessed form.
Austin Master Services solves that problem by providing a safe, central location for the industry to dispose of waste created by fracking operations. After we process it, it is transported for proper disposal.
Original location
Our initial location was in Youngstown. In fact, our business associates at this location maintain a waste facility permit to this day. AMS continues to work in Youngstown and serves as the radiation safety consultant for the operations in that city.
We opened the Martins Ferry facility to be located closer to the heart of the oilfields. With the opening of that facility, we revived a dormant industrial site and created more than two dozen quality full-time jobs. These jobs offer very competitive wages, with benefits including health insurance.
Hiring practices
Austin Master Services is committed to hiring locally and promoting internally. We invest in our workers and provide paths for career advancement. Our current facility manager and maintenance manager joined our team as laborers and worked their way up. Our hires include several individuals who previously were incarcerated. We believe it is our obligation to provide such opportunities and assist those who deserve a second chance.
Safety
Because we work with radioactive material, safety is the top priority at Austin Master Services. We operate under the oversight of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and must comply with a multitude of regulations that are in place to keep the community and the environment safe.
Austin Master Services exclusively handles technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material (TENORM) at our Martins Ferry facility. This requires specific expertise and a variety of services to process this waste.
All the services that we provide at our Martins Ferry location occur in a closed facility built of concrete and steel. We collect all the water that we use in our processes and treat it at an onsite treatment plant. Each station within the facility has approved conduit directing the water and waste into the onsite treatment process. Our team works very hard to ensure that debris and waste are contained according to ODNR regulations.
To maintain safety protocols for our employees and the community, Austin Master Services provides protective clothing and equipment for our team members. After each shift, our team leaves their garments and equipment at the facility so it can be cleansed onsite. Workers are not permitted to take protective clothing home and equipment remain on site until the next shift.
Additionally, we have a lab equipped with multiple industry-related sensors that detect carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, oxygen content, combustible vapors, radioactivity, fixed surface and removable contamination, and multiple air quality monitoring stations. This equipment is necessary for the safe processing and removal of the waste that arrives at our site.
Austin Master Services is proud to be part of the Martins Ferry community and is committed to operating an efficient and safe facility.