PA Environment Digest

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Krancer toured Laser Northeast Gathering Co.’s pipeline installation activities on October 7, including the completed boring operations under Laurel Lake Creek in Silver Lake Township, Susquehanna County.

While the company was conducting horizontal drilling under the creek for installation of a natural gas pipeline, there were several inadvertent returns to surface (IRTS) discharges of a bentonite-and-water slurry, which prompted DEP to conduct an aquatic biological investigation.

The results of DEP’s stream survey showed that the discharges had no discernible impact on aquatic life in the creek.

Krancer said DEP immediately called a meeting with Laser after the first discharge in August and also issued a notice of violation to the company. At DEP’s insistence, Laser agreed to implement contingency measures at Laurel Lake Creek and at other stream crossings as a precaution against any future discharges.

“These measures included construction of coffer dams and flumes, so that if an IRTS would occur, it would be fully contained by the dam while the flume protected the stream from any contact with the slurry. These plans were in place and worked as intended when a third discharge occurred in September.

“I wanted to see the area and the stream for myself,” Krancer said. “Touring Laurel Lake Creek, where Laser has now completed this phase of the project, you would never know that boring operations ever occurred there. Everything in and around where Laser bored under Laurel Lake Creek is in ship-shape condition.

This is very good news that Laurel Lake Creek and its biological resources were not harmed by these inadvertent returns,” Krancer said. “I also toured nearby Trecoske Creek during my visit, where ongoing boring is taking place to cross the creek underground. I observed Laser’s contingency measures in operation and they are working exactly as designed. The entire project is now almost fully completed and it will add important delivery capacity to deliver this clean-burning fuel to market.”

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