The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is scheduled to hold a February 1 hearing on water withdrawal requests-- including eight related to shale gas drilling-- to be considered at the Commission’s March 14 business meeting.  (formal notice - agenda)

The Commission will also accept comments on the proposed General Permit GP-3 covering Cooperative Fish Nurseries.  Read more here.

The shale gas drilling water withdrawal requests include--

-- Project Sponsor and Facility: Beech Resources, LLC (Lycoming Creek), Lycoming Township, Lycoming County, PA. Application for surface water withdrawal of up to 1.500 mgd (peak day).

-- Project Sponsor and Facility: Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC (Susquehanna River), Braintrim Township, Wyoming County, PA. Application for renewal of surface water withdrawal of up to 3.000 mgd (peak day) (Docket No. 20190303).

-- Project Sponsor and Facility: Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC (Susquehanna River), Wysox Township, Bradford County, PA. Modification to increase surface water withdrawal by an additional 2.001 mgd (peak day), for a total withdrawal of up to 3.000 mgd (peak day) (Docket No. 20220603).

-- Project Sponsor and Facility: Greylock Production, LLC (Genesee Forks), Hector Township, Potter County, PA. Application for surface water withdrawal of up to 1.440 mgd (peak day).

-- Project Sponsor and Facility: Greylock Production, LLC (Pine Creek), Ulysses Township, Potter County, PA. Application for surface water withdrawal of up to 2.592 mgd (peak day).

-- Project Sponsor and Facility: Seneca Resources Company, LLC (Cowanesque River), Westfield Township, Tioga County, PA. Application for renewal of surface water withdrawal of up to 0.375 mgd (peak day) (Docket No. 20190311).

-- Project Sponsor and Facility: Sugar Hollow Water Services, LLC (Martins Creek), Hop Bottom Borough, Susquehanna County, PA. Application for renewal of surface water withdrawal of up to 0.360 mgd (peak day) (Docket No. 20190310).

-- Project Sponsor and Facility: SWN Production Company, LLC (Martins Creek), Brooklyn Township, Susquehanna County, PA. Application for renewal of surface water withdrawal of up to 0.997 mgd (peak day) (Docket No. 20190312).

The deadline for all public comments is February 12.

Click Here for more information on the applications and to offer comments.

The hearing will be held at the SRBC offices, 4423 North Front Street in Harrisburg from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.  Join by telephone using toll free number (877) 304-9269 and then enter guest passcode 2619070#.

The Commission strongly encourages those members of the public wishing to provide oral comments to pre-register with the Commission by e-mailing Jason Oyler at joyler@srbc.gov   before the hearing date.

Questions should be directed to Jason Oyler, General Counsel and Secretary, (717) 238-0423 or send email to: joyler@srbc.gov. 

Read the entire PA Bulletin notice for more information.

For more information on programs, training opportunities and upcoming events, visit the Susquehanna River Basin Commission website.  Click Here to sign up for SRBC’s newsletter.   Follow SRBC on Twitter, visit them on YouTube.

(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.)

Related Article - SRBC:

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 25 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In Bradford, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wyoming Counties  [PaEN]

Weekly PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 13 to 19;  9 Abandoned Conventional Wells; 4 Abandoned Shale Gas Wells; Freshwater Pipeline Break; Ice & Snow  [PaEN]

-- 4 Months Later, XTO Energy, Inc. Said They Will Plug 4 Shale Gas Wells DEP Found To Be Abandoned And Not Plugged In September  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - January 20  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 41 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 20 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

2023 Oil & Gas Compliance Reports:

-- DEP Issued At Least 512 Violations To 95 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In 2023; 10 Shale Gas Operators Were Issued NOVs For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Record 6,860 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators In 2023-- Nearly 52% More Than In 2021; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues  [PaEN]

-- 2023 Shale Gas Operator Compliance Report: 1,310 Violations; Explosions; Pad Fire, Evacuation; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack-Outs; Polluting Water Supply; Spills; Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home; More  [PaEN]

-- PA Environment Digest: Articles On Oil & Gas Facility Impacts

Related Articles:

-- DEP Releases Final Guidance On Environmental Considerations In Using Trenchless Technology To Construct Natural Gas, Other Pipelines  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets Feb. 1 Hearing On Water Withdrawal Requests, Including 8 Related To Shale Gas Development; And On Cooperative Fish Nursery General Permit  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 25 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In Bradford, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wyoming Counties  [PaEN]

-- Senate Environmental Committee To Hold 2nd Joint Hearing With Ohio Legislature On Electric Grid Reliability Feb. 1;  Will It Address Natural Gas Infrastructure Vulnerabilities?  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Issues New Cold Weather Alert For Western Region Jan. 19-22  [PaEN]

-- CFA Approves $27 Million In Watershed, Recreation Projects Funded By Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees; Fees Dropping $104 Million In 2024; New Grant Round Opening  [PaEN]

-- DEP Hosts In-Person, Virtual Q/A Sessions On Applying For $5 Million Shell Petrochemical Plant Mitigation Grants In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- Health Effects Institute Hosts Annual Conference April 28-30 In Philadelphia; Call For Abstracts  [PaEN]

-- PA Cong. Thompson, Deluzio Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Provide Flexibility To States Implementing The Federal Conventional Orphan Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- WJAC - Stoker Wieczorek: Equitrans Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area Leak Site Not Cleaned Up Over A Year Later In Cambria County

-- Reuters: Severe US Cold Snap Prompts Peak Power, Natural Gas Demand, Drop In Gas Production  [Freeze-offs Caused 17 Billion Cubic Foot Reduction In Gas Production; 19.6 Bcfd Reduction During Winter Storm Elliott; 20.4 Bcfd Reduction In Feb. 2021]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: US Natural Gas Prices Make Huge Jump On Deep Freeze; Some Shale Gas Prices Increase By 400%

-- TribLive Letter: Proliferation Of Natural Gas Operations In Bell Township, Westmoreland County Raise Concerns - Cody Deluisio

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Demand Eyes Record As Arctic Blast Dents Output

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Supplies Drop Due To Frozen Wells, Record Demand Forecast Due To Extreme Cold  [Again]

-- Reuters: US LNG Natural Gas Feedgas To LNG Plants Drops To One-Year Low By Arctic Freeze, Problems At Freeport LNG Plant In Texas

-- Bloomberg: US Deep Freeze Force LNG Natural Gas Exporters To Cancel, Delay Shipments

-- Bloomberg: EU Sees Natural Gas Storage Levels More Than Half Full By Winter’s End

-- Bloomberg: LNG Natural Gas Tankers Divert From Red Sea As Qatar Warns Of Escalation

-- Financial Times: The LNG Natural Gas Glut Will Chill The Gas Ambitions Of Oil Majors

-- Financial Times: US Energy Security Role In Question As Natural Gas Exports Receive New Scrutiny

[Posted: January 19, 2024]

1/22/2024