On October 13, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has executed a $670,000 consent assessment of civil penalty with Shell Pipeline Company LP and its contractor, Minnesota Limited LLC, for violations of its permit and Pennsylvania laws and regulations that occurred in 2019 and 2020 during construction of the company’s Falcon pipeline project.

Between March 14, 2019, and April 9, 2021, DEP and the Allegheny, Beaver, and Washington County conservation districts, on DEP’s behalf, conducted at least 67 inspections of the pipeline construction sites to determine compliance by Shell Pipeline Company and Minnesota Limited with permits as well as state laws and regulations.

DEP and the conservation districts observed violations resulting in sediment pollution from pipeline construction sites entering waters of the Commonwealth as well as violations that had the potential to cause sediment pollution into waters of the Commonwealth. However, no visual aquatic impacts were observed.

The violations included five inadvertent returns, eight sediment discharges, failure to comply with permit conditions, failure to implement or maintain effective erosion and sediment best management practices, and failure to stabilize the site upon cessation of earth disturbance activity.

DEP also found that Shell Pipeline Company and Minnesota Limited failed to notify DEP of inadvertent returns as required.

The approximately 45.5-mile-long Falcon pipeline crosses through portions of Allegheny, Beaver, and Washington counties connecting ethane production facilities in Houston, Pa. to a petrochemical facility in Monaca, Pa., which is permitted to Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC.

A separate segment of the pipeline connects ethane production facilities in Scio and Cadiz, Ohio and crosses through Beaver County the petrochemical facility.

 Shell Pipeline Company received an erosion and sediment control general permit for the project and coverage under Chapter 105 encroachment permits in Allegheny, Beaver, and Washington counties in December 2018.

Approximately 608 acres of land were disturbed during construction of the pipeline.

Pipeline construction is complete and construction sites have been temporarily stabilized. Shell Pipeline Company and Minnesota Limited are in the process of achieving permanent stabilization.

Shell Pipeline Company has agreed to pay a $670,000 civil penalty.

In addition, the company will pay cost recovery in the amounts of $21,339 to DEP; $1,824 to the Allegheny County Conservation District; $1,496 to the Beaver County Conservation District, and $2,611 to the Washington County Conservation District.

Of the total payment to DEP, $479,464 will go into the Commonwealth’s Clean Water Fund and $211,875 will go into the Encroachments Fund.

Click Here for a copy of the penalty assessment.

For more information on the pipeline, visit DEP’s Falcon Ethane Pipeline webpage.

Related Articles - Major Oil & Gas Criminal/Monetary Penalties Last 2 Years:

-- House Committee Fails To Address $70 Million In Penalties On Natural Gas Pipelines Or Real Concerns Of People Living Near Gas Production & Distribution Facilities

-- AG Shapiro: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Convicted Of Criminal Charges Related To Construction Of Mariner East 2 & Revolution Natural Gas/Liquids Pipelines In PA

-- Sunoco/Mariner East Pipeline To Pay $4 Million In Damages And Restore Lake At Marsh Creek State Park Polluted By A Spill In Chester County

-- Federal Court Approves DEP, EPA, DOJ Settlement With Chesapeake Appalachia For Failure To Identify, Protect Wetlands At 76 Gas Well Drilling Sites, $1.9 Million Penalty

-- PUC Imposes $1 Million Penalty On Energy Transfer Company For 2018 Revolution Pipeline Explosion In Beaver County

-- DEP Collects $497,000, Fish & Boat Commission Collects $25,855 In Penalties For Latest Violations Involving Mariner East 2 Pipeline Construction In Lebanon County

-- DEP: Range Resources Pays $294,000 Penalty For Delaying The Plugging Of 42 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In 8 Counties

-- DEP: Olympus Energy Natural Gas Driller Fined $175,000 For Water Quality Violations In Allegheny County

-- DEP Collects $147,250 Penalty From Rice Drilling B LLC For Erosion & Sedimentation Violations In Greene County; DEP Found Rice Had Hundreds Of Other Violations, Including Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them

-- DEP Collects $140,000 Penalty From ETC Northeast Field Services For Pipeline Construction Violations In Beaver County

-- DEP Order Requires Payment Of $125,000 Penalty For Latest Revolution Natural Gas Pipeline Construction Violations In Beaver County

-- DEP Collects $85,000 Penalty For Mariner East 2 Pipeline Construction Violations In Blair, Cumberland, Juniata, Lebanon Counties

-- AP: PUC Judge: Sunoco/Energy Transfer Failed To Protect Delaware County Community During Construction Of Mariner East Pipeline, $51,000 Penalty Proposed

-- AG Shapiro: Southeast Directional Drilling Pleads Guilty To Contaminating Water Supply In Washington County, To Pay $15,000 Fine

NewsClips:

-- StateImpactPA - Reid Frazier: DEP Fines Shell $670,000 For Spills, Erosion During Falcon Pipeline Construction

-- Post-Gazette: Shell Pipeline, Contractor, Agree To $670,000 Penalties In Falcon Pipeline Construction Violations

-- TribLive: Shell Pipeline, Contractor Fined $670,000 For Repeated Pipeline Chemical Releases

-- PennLive Letter: Leaking Air Pollution From Oil & Gas Facilities A Health Challenge For Pennsylvanians - Environmental Health Project

-- WESA/The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: How Shell’s New Ethane Cracker In Beaver County Will Impact Air Quality, Jobs, Property Values [And The State Budget]

-- Inside Climate News - Reid Frazier: New Shell Ethane Plant In Beaver County Will Soon Become The State’s 2nd Largest Emitter Of Volatile Organic Compounds

Related Articles This Week:

-- EQB Adopts Final-Omitted Reg. Limiting Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas Facilities; And A First-Ever State MCL For PFOS/PFOA  [PaEN]

-- Conservation Groups Urge DEP To Deny Transco Permits For Natural Gas Pipeline Thru Exceptional Value, High Quality Watersheds In Luzerne, Monroe Counties  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Holds Nov. 3 Hearing On Water Withdraws, Including 3 Natural Gas Development Proposals  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project Blog: 7 Questions You Should Ask Every Candidate About Shale Gas Development And Public Health  [PaEN]

-- Oct. 25 Webinar: Creating A Healthy Home And Community With Shale Gas Development In Your Neighborhood  [PaEN]

-- U.S. EIA Projects Home Heating Costs Will Increase Most For Natural Gas - 28%, Heating Oil - 27%, Electricity - 10%, Propane 5% This Winter  [PaEN]

-- DEP Permit Notices -- Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [PaEN] 

[Posted: October 13, 2022]

10/17/2022