So far this year-- as of March 24-- DEP issued 1,012 formal notices of violation to conventional operators and 386 to unconventional shale gas operators based on 3,416 inspections of conventional facilities and 6,309 inspections of unconventional shale gas facilities.
Equitrans Rager Mountain Violations
On March 27, DEP inspected two well sites [inspection report] and an access road to the sites [inspection report] at the Equitrans Rager Mountain Natural Gas Storage Area in Cambria County and found continuing violations at conventional gas wells accessing the facility, including
-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth [Multiple]
-- Discharged Waste/Pollutants Into Waters Of Commonwealth [Multiple]
-- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings
-- Failed to design, implement, maintain BMPs to prevent erosion and sedimentation
Abandoned Wells
Two conventional well operators were giving notices of violation for failure to plug a well upon abandoning it-- Alpha Wells Inc. (Clarion County) and Timberline Energy, Inc. (Venango County).
Spills/Discharges
Unconventional shale gas drillers LOLA Energy Petrol LLC (Butler County) and Inflection Energy (PA) LLC (Lycoming County) were given notices of violations related to discharging waste and spills, failure to collect drilling wastewater and failure to provide DEP notice of spills.
State Game Lands 87
A Spring walk on State Game Lands 87 in Jefferson County near Punxsutawney resulted in finding a natural gas well venting gas in a distinctive hissing sound.
The person reporting the leaking gas well to the Game Commission and DEP said it isn’t unusual to find abandoned natural gas gathering pipelines, brine tanks and wells on the Game Lands as well as smell leaking gas.
Laurie Barr from Save Our Streams PA reports leaking natural gas wells are frequent on State Game Lands in counties in her area, including in State Game Lands103 in Centre County.
Another hiker reported that in Elk County there has been a natural gas well leaking for 50 years that hunters would light and cook hot dogs over and it’s still leaking.
[Report/photo courtesy of Marcellus Air.]
Erosion & Sedimentation Violations
Three Diversified Prod LLC conventional natural gas wells in Jefferson County were given notices of violation for failure to design, implement and maintain best management practices to prevent erosion and sedimentation.
Report Violations
To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.
Check These Resources
Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database webpage to search their compliance records by date and operator.
Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.
Violation Details
Violations Reported - Conventional
2 -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It
1 -- Drilling, altering or operating a well without a permit
2 -- Discharged Waste/Pollutants Into Waters Of Commonwealth
2 -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth
1 -- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings
4 -- Failed to design, implement, maintain BMPs to prevent erosion and sedimentation
1 -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit
1 -- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
1 -- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
Company/Location/Violations - Conventional
Cambria County
-- Equitrans LP - Rager Mountain Natural Gas Storage Area - Jackson Twp.
-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth [Multiple]
-- Discharged Waste/Pollutants Into Waters Of Commonwealth [Multiple]
-- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings
-- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit
-- Failed to design, implement, maintain BMPs to prevent erosion and sedimentation
Clarion County
-- Alpha Wells Inc. - Monroe Twp. - TW Phillips 1
-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It
-- Drilling, altering or operating a well without a permit
Jefferson County
-- Diversified Prod LLC - Oliver Twp. - SS Jordan 200A 1
-- Failed to design, implement, maintain BMPs to prevent erosion and sedimentation
-- Diversified Prod LLC - Young Twp. - Fetterman TWP G&O 1
-- Failed to design, implement, maintain BMPs to prevent erosion and sedimentation
-- Diversified Prod LLC - McCalmont Twp. - Eugene Catalano WN1563
-- Failed to design, implement, maintain BMPs to prevent erosion and sedimentation
Venango County
-- Timberline Energy Inc. - Cranberry Twp. - Ostroske 3
-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It
-- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
-- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
Violations Reported - Unconventional Shale Gas
1 -- Discharged Waste Into Waters Of Commonwealth
1 -- Failure To Report A Release That Caused Or Threatens To Cause Pollution
2 -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit
2 -- Failed To Contain Wastes Or Regulated Substances In Tanks Or Other Storage Structures
1 -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater
Company/Location/Violations - Unconventional Shale Gas
Butler County
-- LOLA Energy Petroco LLC - Allegheny Twp. - Sculptor Well Pad ESX
-- Discharged Waste Into Waters Of Commonwealth
-- Failed To Contain Wastes Or Regulated Substances In Tanks Or Other Storage Structures
-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater
-- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit
Lycoming County
-- Inflection Energy (PA) LLC - Gamble Twp. - Reynolds Well Site
-- Failure To Report A Release That Caused Or Threatens To Cause Pollution
-- Failed To Contain Wastes Or Regulated Substances In Tanks Or Other Storage Structures
-- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit
[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]
[Note: These may not be all the NOVs issued to oil and gas companies during this time period. Additional inspection reports may be added to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.]
PA Oil & Gas Public Notice Dashboards:
-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - March 25 to 31; More Violations At Equitrans Gas Storage Area; Spring Walk Yields Hissing Gas Well On State Game Lands [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - April 1 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posts 55 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 1 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
PA Oil & Gas Compliance Reports
-- Feature: 60 Years Of Fracking, 20 Years Of Shale Gas: Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Industrial Infrastructure Is Hiding In Plain Sight [PaEN]
-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Failed To File Annual Production/Waste Generation Reports For 61,655 Wells; Attorney General Continues Investigation Of Road Dumping Wastewater [PaEN]
-- DEP Issued 754 Notices Of Violation For Defective Oil & Gas Well Casing, Cementing, The Fundamental Protection Needed To Prevent Gas Migration, Groundwater & Air Contamination, Explosions [PaEN]
-- DEP 2021 Oil & Gas Program Annual Report Shows Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Received A Record 610 Notices Of Violation For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: As Shell Shuts Down New Beaver County Petrochemical Plant For Repairs, And Burns Off Natural Gas In Flares, Company Says It Hasn’t Exceeded Air Emission Limits
-- Shell Petrochemical Plant Beaver County: Bad And Dangerous Start; Shell Shut Down Part Of Plant For Repairs, Beings Full Natural Gas, Flammable Gases Flaring Operations For Unknown Period
-- Beaver County Times: Expect ‘Continuous’ Flaring- Burning Off Natural Gas, Flammable Gases At Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County
-- AP: Probe Of Reading Chocolate Factory Explosion Centers On Natural Gas Pipeline
-- Guest Essay: Protect This Place - Fracking Threatens The Allegheny Plateau And Its Biodiversity - By Lisa C. Leib, Pittsburgh
-- Marcellus Drilling News/Argus Media: Wild Swings In Natural Gas Price ‘Here To Stay For Foreseeable Future’
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Consultant Suggests Drillers Fight Low Natural Gas Prices By Choking Wells 50% [To Reduce Supply]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Acting DEP Secretary Disappoints By Spouting Enviro Justice Nonsense
Related Articles This Week:
-- PUC Denies Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Petition To Reconsider Regulation Of Class One Natural Gas Gathering Pipelines [PaEN]
-- Guest Essay: A Conservative Argument For Clean Energy -- Follow The Market, Fossil Fuels Are No Bargain - By Dave Jenkins, Conservatives For Responsible Stewardship [PaEN]
-- Washington & Jefferson College Hosts April 5 Webinar On Justice40 - Bringing Energy Transition Benefits To Disadvantaged Communities [PaEN]
[Posted: April 1, 2023] PA Environment Digest
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