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Game Commission Board OKs More Shale Gas Drilling In Lycoming County, Home To The Hellbender, And Sullivan County

On September 16, the Board of Game Commissioners approved another oil and gas agreement with PA General Energy allowing it to extract oil and gas from beneath a portion of State Game Lands 134 in Gamble and Plunketts Creek townships, Lycoming County and Hillsgrove Township, Sullivan County, provided it confines all of its equipment to one right of way.

In exchange, PA General Energy will convey to the Game Commission 3,931 acres in Jay Township, Elk County – the heart of the elk range – for what will become State Game Lands 338.

PA General Energy will also make a $500,000 contribution to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for use in creating elk habitat in cooperation with the Game Commission.

In addition to the land gained, these two gas leases will generate future revenues to the Game Commission, with a 16% royalty rate due on all gas produced.

Home Of the Hellbender

Gamble and Plunketts Creek townships in Lycoming County have been ground-zero for a controversy over construction of a PA General Energy withdrawal on the Exceptional Value Loyalsock Creek.

The construction of PA General Energy Company’s Shawnee Water Withdrawal last summer on the Exceptional Value Loyalsock Creek resulted in multiple Clean Streams Law violations, an out-of-court settlement with the Fish and Boat Commission for other violations and threatened the habitat of the rare Eastern Hellbender, Pennsylvania’s clean water ambassador.

The construction resulted in multiple, heavy sediment plumes as PA General Energy constructed the water withdrawal and related freshwater and natural gas pipelines on both sides of the Loyalsock to service planned unconventional shale gas well pads on DCNR State Forest Land.

PA General Energy also failed to construct the water withdrawal structures as authorized in their DEP and Susquehanna River Basin Commission permits and they now have to be amended. Read more here.

No monetary penalties or enforcement actions other than issuing notices of violation by DEP have been taken by either DEP or the Susquehanna River Basin Commission for any of these construction violations.

PA General Energy came to a private agreement with the Fish and Boat Commission covering some of the construction violations. Read more here.

No enforcement actions have been announced by DEP or SRBC for the failure of PA General Energy to build its water withdrawal and pipeline corridor across the Loyalsock Creek in compliance with its original permits, except for notices of violation.

Click Here for more actions at September 16 meeting.

(Photo: PA General Energy constructed an SRBC-approved water withdrawal in the Exceptional Value Loyalsock Creek attracting notices of violation from DEP and the Fish and Boat Commission.)

NewsClips:

-- PA Chapter Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Oppose Transfer Of $150 Million From Game Fund To Clean Streams Fund In Senate Budget Bill; Could Make State Ineligible For Federal Wildlife Funds [PaEN]

-- PA Federation Of Sportsmen & Conservationists Oppose State Budget Bill Transfer Of $150 Million From Game Commission Fund To Clean Streams Fund

-- Growing Greener Coalition Opposes Senate Amendment Taking $150 Million From Game Commission Fund That Threatens Federal Wildlife Funding [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: Game Commission Braces For Impact Of $150 Million Transfer Out Of Game Fund

-- Citizens Voice: Game Commission Could Lose Nearly $150 Million In Revenue If State Budget Bill Passes

Related Articles - PGE Violations:

-- DEP Finds PA General Energy Installed Its Shawnee Water Withdrawal On The Exceptional Value Loyalsock Creek At Sizes Larger Than Authorized By Its SRBC, DEP Permits [PaEN]

-- Fish & Boat Commission Investigation Of Pollution From PA General Energy Natural Gas Development Construction Site On Exceptional Value Loyalsock Creek Results In Settlement Agreement [PaEN]

-- Citizen Complaints Result In DEP Issuing PA General Energy More Violations At Loyalsock Creek Gas Pipeline/Water Withdrawal Construction Site In Lycoming County [PaEN]

-- Bay Journal: Hellbender Habitat Slammed By Pollution From Shale Gas Development In PA's Loyalsock Creek - By Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal [PaEN]

-- Rare Eastern Hellbender Habitat In Loyalsock Creek, Lycoming County Harmed By Sediment Plumes From Pipeline Crossings, Shale Gas Drilling Water Withdrawal Construction Projects [PaEN]