To give the public a better understanding of the compliance record of oil and gas industrial facilities in Pennsylvania, PA Environment Digest developed this feature summarizing the more serious violations DEP reports through its Compliance Reporting Database on a weekly basis -- Saturday through Friday.

This feature is in addition to -- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment-- which lists the permits DEP is considering and has issued for oil and gas facilities.

Taken together, the public will get a weekly report on how the oil and gas industry is expanding across Pennsylvania and the kinds of environmental violations reported as a result of DEP’s inspections.

Send your feedback on these features to: paenvirodigest@gmail.com .

Weekly Summary

From November 19 through 25, DEP inspections resulted in reporting 63 violations of environmental regulations-- 24 major violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 14 major violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry.

So far this year-- as of November 11-- DEP issued 4,483 formal notices of violation to conventional operators and 1,005 to unconventional shale gas operators.

The most significant problem reported again this week was three instances of failure to plug conventional oil and gas wells upon abandoning them by Mitch Well Energy Inc. - conventional - Erie County; EQT Prod Co. - conventional - Greene County; Marvin Sanders Oil - conventional - Warren County.

DEP also reported seven instances of failure to prevent natural gas flow in the annulus [ the space between the inner and outer casing of a well] at six unconventional wells in Susquehanna County operated by Coterra Energy, Inc. and one operated by Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC, also in Susquehanna County.

DEP issued notices of violation to NTC Northeast Pipeline LLC for noncompliance with erosion and sedimentation requirements along the Revolution Pipeline route in Butler County. 

Failure to collect brine at conventional wells operated by Diversified Prod LLC in Greene County and failure to submit well integrity and production reports by Stonehaven Energy Mgt Co. LLC were prominent in this week’s report.

The production and waste report is critical to understanding how much wastewater and other waste those wells generated and where it was disposed of.

The annual integrity report is critical because it helps ensure the operator is taking the steps needed to prevent natural gas, oil or contaminated water leaks from oil and gas wells.

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 Report - Pipelines

Butler County

-- NTC Northeast Pipeline LLC - Jackson Twp. - Revolution Pipeline

     -- Discharged Substances Into Waters Of Commonwealth

     -- Failure to Comply With Erosion & Sedimentation Permit Requirements (2)

Violations Reported - Conventional

3  -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

2 -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

2 -- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings

2 -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

5 -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

2 -- Failure To Comply With Erosion & Sedimentation Permit Requirements

4 -- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

5 -- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

Company/Location/Violations - Conventional

Erie County

-- Mitch Well Energy Inc. - Waterford Twp. - Martha Smith 1

          -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

Greene County

-- Diversified Prod LLC - Cumberland Twp. - USX 23

     -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

-- Diversified Prod LLC - Cumberland Twp. - WAHULA 5

     -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

     -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

     -- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings

-- Diversified Prod LLC - Cumberland Twp. - McClure 3

     -- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings

     -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

     -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

-- Diversified Prod LLC - Cumberland Twp. - Cartier/Luxner 4

     -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

     -- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings

     -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

-- EQT Prod Co. - Freeport Twp. - Fox Hill 1

     -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

Venango County

--  Stonehaven Energy Mgt Co. LLC - Cranberry Twp. - Stover 13

     -- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

     -- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report 

--  Stonehaven Energy Mgt Co. LLC - Cranberry Twp. - Stover 25

     -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

     -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

     -- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

--  Stonehaven Energy Mgt Co. LLC - Cranberry Twp. - Stover 26

     -- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

     -- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

--  Stonehaven Energy Mgt Co. LLC - Cranberry Twp. - Stover 28

     -- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

     -- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

--  Stonehaven Energy Mgt Co. LLC - Cranberry Twp. - Stover 29

     -- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

     -- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

Warren County

-- Marvin Sanders Oil - Sugar Grove Twp. - Sandene 16

     -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

Violations Reported - Unconventional Shale Gas

1 -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

1 -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

1 -- Failure To Construction Well To Maintain Its Integrity

7 -- Failure To Prevent Gas Flow In Annulus

Company/Location/Violations - Unconventional Shale Gas

Bradford County

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Wilmot Twp. - VRGC 24HC

     -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

     -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Wilmot Twp. - Redbone OG Well Pad ESGP

    -- Failure To Construction Well To Maintain Its Integrity

Susquehanna County

-- Coterra Energy Inc. - Harford Twp. - Jeffers Farms 7

     -- Failure To Prevent Gas Flow In Annulus 

-- Coterra Energy Inc. - Harford Twp. - Jeffers Farms 8

     -- Failure To Prevent Gas Flow In Annulus 

-- Coterra Energy Inc. - Harford Twp. - Jeffers Farms 9

     -- Failure To Prevent Gas Flow In Annulus

     -- Discharged Substances Into Waters Of Commonwealth Causing Pollution

-- Coterra Energy Inc. - Harford Twp. - Jeffers Farms 10

     -- Failure To Prevent Gas Flow In Annulus

-- Coterra Energy Inc. - Harford Twp. - Jeffers Farms 11

     -- Failure To Prevent Gas Flow In Annulus

-- Coterra Energy Inc. - Harford Twp. - Jeffers Farms 14

     -- Failure To Prevent Gas Flow In Annulus

-- Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC - Middletown Twp. - Camp Comfort 07

          -- Failure To Prevent Gas Flow In Annulus

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

Oil & Gas Compliance Dashboard:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 19 To 25  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- AP: Court Plea Hearing Scheduled Tuesday On Criminal Charges Against Coterra Energy [Fmr Cabot Oil & Gas] For Contaminating Water Supplies In Dimock, Susquehanna County

-- AP: PA American Water To Provide Clean Drinking Water To Residents Of Dimock, Susquehanna County Who Have Gone Without For 14 Years Due To Contamination From Shale Gas Drilling

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Catastrophic Natural Gas Storage Well Leak In Cambria County Shows Need For New Regulations; Incoming Shapiro Administration Should Expand DEP Oil & Gas Methane Leak Rule

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Oil & Gas Advisory Board To Hear Updates On Chapter 78 Regulation Changes; Federal Abandoned Well Plugging Program Dec. 1  [PaEN]

-- EQB To Meet Nov. 30 To Consider Emergency Regulation Setting VOC/Methane Limits For Conventional Oil & Gas Facilities  [PaEN]

-- Delaware River Basin Commission Meets Dec. 7 On Shale Gas Fracking Wastewater Regulations  [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance Announces 7 Winners Of 2022 Community Sentinel Award For Environmental Stewardship; Including PA’s Laurie Barr  [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance Releases 4th Watershed Oil & Gas Drilling Impact Analysis In Susquehanna River Basin - Towanda & Schrader Creek Watersheds  [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance: Lycoming Creek Watershed Oil & Gas Drilling Impact Analysis In Lycoming County  [PaEN]

-- UPDATED: After 14 Days, Efforts To Stop A Natural Gas Leak At A Cambria County Underground Gas Storage Area Have Apparently Been Successful  [PaEN]

-- EDF Blog: What A Catastrophic Natural Gas Leak In Pennsylvania Means For Our Climate And Health - By Adam Peltz and Jon Goldstein, Environmental Defense Fund  [PaEN]

-- NRDC Blog: How Clean Is Pennsylvania’s New Hydrogen Subsidy?  It’s Up To The Feds -  By Mark Szybist, Natural Resources Defense Council  [PaEN]

-- Beaver County Residents And Allies Launch New Shell Ethane Plant Accountability Campaign  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: PA Politicians Capitalizing On Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine To Benefit Natural Gas Industry - By Lauren M. Williams, Esq., Greenworks Law & Consulting LLC  [PaEN]

Related Articles:

-- Center For Coalfield Justice Holds First Water Distribution Day Nov. 19 To Help Provide Families Drinking Water In Greene County Following Alleged ‘Frack-Out’ At Natural Gas Well Site In June [PaEN]

-- Washington County Family Lawsuit Alleges Shale Gas Company Violated The Terms Of Their Lease By Endangering Their Health, Contaminating Their Water Supply And Not Protecting Their Land  [PaEN]

[Posted: November 25, 2022]

11/28/2022