DEP To Hold Public Meetings/Hearings On Two Natural Gas Drilling Permit Applications

The Department of Environmental Protection is holding a public meeting and hearing in October for each of two permit applications for proposed facilities in Wyoming County for the discharge of treated wastewater associated with natural gas drilling activities.

One application was submitted by North Branch Processing LLC to discharge up to 500,000 gallons per day of treated gas drilling wastewater to the Susquehanna River from a proposed treatment plant in Eaton Township, Wyoming County.

The draft permit includes treatment standards for total dissolved solids, chlorides and sulfates effective January 1, 2011, as well as interim monthly total dissolved solids limits based on the protection of the nearest downstream public water supply at Danville. The draft permit also contains effluent limits and/or monitoring requirements for several other constituents of concern in these types of wastewaters.

A public meeting/hearing will be held on that permit application on October 6. The public meeting will begin at 5 p.m. and the public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. Both will be held in the auditorium of the Tunkhannock Middle School, 200 Franklin Ave., Tunkhannock.

The other permit application was submitted by Wyoming Somerset Regional Water Resources Corp. to discharge up to 380,000 gallons per day of treated gas drilling wastewater to Meshoppen Creek from a proposed treatment plant in Lemon Township, Wyoming County.

The draft permit includes treatment standards for total dissolved solids, chlorides and sulfates as well as effluent limits and/or monitoring requirements for several other constituents of concern in these types of wastewaters.

A public meeting/public hearing will be held on that permit application on October 20. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. and the hearing will begin at 7 p.m. Both will be held in the auditorium of the Tunkhannock Middle School.

Copies of the permit applications and the draft permits are available for public review at the Tunkhannock Public Library Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The library may be contacted at 570-836-1677.

The applications and draft permits are also on file at DEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilkes-Barre. Individuals can schedule an appointment to review those files by contacting DEP at 570-826-5472.