On March 4, Department of Environmental Protection assessed a $1.5 million penalty against Rice Midstream Holdings, LLC for violations that occurred on Rice’s Beta Trunk Pipeline located in Aleppo and Richhill townships, Greene County.

The violations are for sediment discharges into local waterways, unstable construction, and the failure to maintain pollution controls.

“Protection of resources like streams and wetlands cannot be the concern of DEP alone. Environmental protection and compliance must also be an operator’s top priority,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “DEP will continue to hold operators accountable when they fail to meet the protective conditions of their permits.”

Rice is required to use erosion and sedimentation control (E&S) best management practices (BMPs) in its pipeline construction to prevent sediment pollution into waters of the Commonwealth.

On October 11, 2017, Rice reported—and a same-day DEP inspection confirmed—that sediment-laden water overtopped numerous E&S BMPs into unnamed tributaries to Mudlick Fork and Harts Run. E&S BMPs were not properly maintained or not installed at all.

Subsequent inspections revealed similar violations on January 21, 22, and 23, 2018; February 12 and 15, 2018; and March 6 and 30, 2018.

Rice voluntarily shut down construction of new sections of the pipeline, redirected resources to the remediation of unstable areas, and resolved the violations as of April 30, 2018.

However, on May 25, 2018, Rice reported three significant slope failures within and outside the Beta Trunk Pipeline’s permitted limit of earth disturbance. In addition, there were E&S BMP failures along a different section of the pipeline, and soil was stockpiled in a wetland. Rice corrected these violations as of July 5, 2018.

The Beta Trunk Pipeline is an approximately 7.5-mile gathering line, within a larger “Beta System,” that takes natural gas from several well pads to transmission facilities. The line was permitted by DEP in July 2017, and portions of the line are in service. DEP continues to inspect the pipeline as it remains under construction. 

In December 2018, DEP approved a permit modification to repair the slope failures. As part of DEP’s review, it required the permittee to submit a geotechnical design report with detailed plans for each location to repair and install BMPs, avoid future slides, and to address stability.

This pipeline is now owned by Equitrans Midstream Corp. but the violations began prior to the acquisition of Rice.

Click Here for a copy of the Consent and Civil Penalty document.

NewsClips:

Sisk: DEP Issues $1.5M Fine For Pipeline Construction Site In Greene County

Operator Of Natural Gas Gathering Pipeline Fined In Greene County

Litvak: Greene County Gas Line Garners $1.5 Million Fine

Phillips: Chester County Investigation Of Mariner East 2 Pipeline Now Includes Grand Jury

Op-Ed: Pipeline Alert Systems: Energy Obstructionism

FERC Plans Environmental Assessment Of Leidy South, FM100 Pipeline Projects In PA

Related Stories:

PA Supreme Court Turns Down Conventional Gas Drillers’ Motion To Reconsider Stripper Well Impact Fee Decision

Sen. Dinniman, Rep. Friel Otten, Groups Hold Pipeline Safety Rally March 19 In Harrisburg; Pipeline Safety Caucus Formed

IFO: Natural Gas Production Increased 14.2% In 2018, Largest Increase Since 2014

[Posted: March 4, 2019]

3/11/2019