ASHLAND, Ky. (WMDJ) — A Lawrence County man has been sentenced to five years of probation after admitting to illegally dumping oil-production wastewater into a local creek for two years.

Josh Ferguson, 42, of Martha, was sentenced Tuesday by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning. He was also ordered to serve 12 months of home detention with electronic monitoring and pay a $20,000 fine.

According to federal prosecutors, the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection received a tip in 2025 about wastewater being discharged into Left Fork Blaine Creek.

During a September inspection, investigators discovered a hose running from a brine tank at Ferguson's oil-production site directly into the creek.

Officials reported that water downstream had turned orange, showed no signs of aquatic life and contained extremely elevated chloride levels.

Ferguson admitted to investigators that he had been dumping the wastewater without a permit for approximately two years to save money.

He pleaded guilty in April to violating the federal Clean Water Act.

The investigation was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection.