PA Environment Digest

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Road Dumping Continues At Will As Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Get Rid Of Their Wastewater

The Spring road dumping season continues in full swing in Northcentral and Northwest Pennsylvania as conventional oil and gas well owners continue to get rid of their wastewater on the region’s dirt and hard roads illegally.

PA Environment Digest posted photos of road dumping on March 12 in Warren County. Read more here.

On March 16 they came back to the same road Follet Run in Warren County to hammer it again with conventional wastewater.

On the same day, wastewater dumpers hit Miller Hill Road also in Warren County.

The weather was clear and the temperature was 41 degrees.

The road dumping was reported to DEP’s regional office.

There are more reports from citizens in the region that roads are getting “hammered” this Spring with conventional wastewater. But it also continued unabated during the Winter, Fall, Summer and last Spring.

Municipalities Notified Of This Illegal Practice

The Department of Environmental Protection has already taken steps to advise 18 municipalities in four counties that the road dumping of conventional oil and gas drilling wastewater is illegal and considered waste disposal.

The letters said in part-- “Disposal of waste without approval from DEP is unlawful conduct under the Solid Waste Management Act, Act of July 7, 1980, P.L. 380, as amended, 35 P.S. Sections 6018.101-6018.1003.” Read more here.

DEP has listed a total of 84 townships as “waste facilities” where road dumping of conventional oil and gas drilling wastewater has occurred. Read more here.

These actions remain valid today.

Attorney General Is Investigating

The state Office of Attorney General is investigating the illegal disposal of conventional drilling wastewater through road dumping under DEP’s Residual Waste Regulations, according to a consultant for conventional oil and gas well owners. Read more here.

“[At] about the same time [DEP determined the coproduct regulations were not met], a special agent from the Attorney General's Office began to visit and interview operators and consultants with known ties to preparation of coproduct determination,” said Burt Waite, an industry consultant and representative of the PA Independent Oil and Gas Association on the Advisory Council.

“I had an agent show up at my doorstep unannounced, knock on my door, wanting to quiz me about the preparation of co-product determination reports,” said Waite. “It kind of took me back and it took other operators back when a special agent with the Attorney General's Office showed up.” Read more here.

And conventional well owners keep road dumping….

Road Dumping Illegal

Road dumping of conventional oil and gas wastewater is illegal, but it continues as if it wasn’t.

Penn State researchers, and others found the wastewater running off the roadways after spreading contains concentrations of barium, strontium, lithium, iron, manganese that exceed human-health based criteria and levels of radioactive radium that exceed industrial discharge standards.

In fact, 25 out of the 31 chemicals and pollutants found in the wastewater exceeded, and in many instances far exceeded, established health or environmental standards, including radioactive radium. Read more here.

The same earlier Penn State study also found conventional oil and gas wastewater was no more effective than plain water in suppressing dust on roads. Read more here.

Report Violations

To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

(Photos: March 16, 2024 - Follet Road and Miller Hill Road in Warren County.)

Related Articles - Road Dumping:

-- DEP Advises 18 Municipalities Where Road Dumping Of Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater Is Occurring The Practice Is Illegal And Considered Waste Disposal [5.31.22]

-- Attorney General’s Office Reported To Be Investigating Conventional Oil & Gas Operators For Illegally Road Dumping Drilling Wastewater [4.22.22]

-- DEP Tells Citizens Advisory Council Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Still Does Not Meet Residual Waste Regulations; Remains Illegal [PaEN]

-- Penn State: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Fails To Meet Beneficial Reuse Recommendations For Use As A Dust Suppressant [PaEN]

-- New Penn State Study: Brine Water Pumped From Played-Out Conventional Oil & Gas Wells And Used As Dust Suppressants, Winter Road Treatments Exceed Environmental, Health Standards, Just Like Conventional Oil & Gas Brine Water [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - March 30 to April 5 - 19 Abandoned Well Violations; Venting Gas; Spills; No Containment; Erosion BMP Failures [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - April 6 [PaEN]