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Inside Climate News: DEP Took 9 Days To Inspect Natural Gas Liquids Plant That Caught Fire On Christmas Day In Washington County

On February 11, Jon Hurdle of Inside Climate News reported the Department of Environmental Protection took nine days to inspect the Energy Transfer Revolution Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plant in Washington County after an explosion and fire on Christmas Day.

DEP confirmed it was not until January 3 that DEP staff inspected the facility.

Energy Transfer and DEP’s January 3 inspection report confirmed the plant suffered an uncontrolled release, explosion and fire for at least 9.5 hours on Christmas Day. Ethane and other vapors were what caught fire.

Natural gas cryogenic plants take natural gas and cool it to sub-zero temperatures-- minus 120 degrees Fahrenheit-- in order to condense and separate out liquids like butane, ethane and propane from the gas.

Inside Climate News said DEP first said its staff was onsite December 25, but later corrected its statement to say the first site visit was January 3, confirming claims by environmental and community advocates and contradicting an earlier claim by the agency.

Inside Climate News reported the incident prompted the group the Environmental Integrity Project to urge DEP to hold a public meeting to inform the community about the explosion, stop operations at the plant until the cause has been identified and halt approvals for other cryogenic gas processing plants until the investigation is complete.

The letter also reported another “significant flaring event” on Jan. 8 at the plant, referring to a process used for burning off excess gas, often to lower pressure for safety purposes.

“DEP’s slow response to the emergency, the long delay beginning the investigation, and the recent flaring event … have exacerbated community concerns about the safety and public health risks posed by the Revolution Plant,” EIP said in a Jan. 18 letter to the DEP’s Acting Secretary, Richard Negrin.

Click Here to read the entire Inside Climate News story.

(Photos: Top- Plant flare system continues to burn with dirty, black smoke - Jan. 8 photo; Original fire at the plant; Bottom- DEP inspection report photos of plant damage.)

Related Articles - ETC Cryo Plant:

-- DEP Ongoing Explosion/Fire Investigation: Energy Transfer Reported An Uncontrolled Release Of Ethane For 9.5 Hours From Its Revolution Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter: Explosion, Fire At Energy Transfer’s Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Plant Burned For Nearly 11 Hours On Christmas Day In Smith Twp., Washington County [PaEN]

PA DEP Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Feb. 4 to Feb. 10 - 12 NOVs For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - Feb. 11 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 57 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Feb. 11 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Compliance Reports:

-- DEP Report Finds: Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Routinely Abandon Wells; Fail To Report How Millions Of Gallons Of Waste Is Disposed; And Non-Compliance Is An ‘Acceptable Norm’ [PaEN]

-- DEP 2021 Oil & Gas Program Annual Report Shows Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Received A Record 610 Notices Of Violation For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Has Record Year: Cost, Criminal Convictions Up; $3.1 Million In Penalties Collected; Record Number Of Violations Issued; Major Compliance Issues Uncovered; Evidence Of Health Impacts Mounts [PaEN]

-- Feature: 60 Years Of Fracking, 20 Years Of Shale Gas: Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Industrial Infrastructure Is Hiding In Plain Sight [PaEN]