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Witness At Senate Hearing On Oil & Gas Wastewater Road Dumping Reports Her Home Has Been Surrounded By Dumping; Dumping Again On The Upswing In 2024

Siri Lawson from Warren County said her home has now been surrounded by oil and gas wastewater dumping, including three incidents on the road in front of her home since April 4.

Lawson provided testimony on April 17 to the Senate Democratic Policy Committee on the issue of road dumping oil and gas wastewater on public roads.

Lawson said there was no oil and gas wastewater dumped on her road in Farmington Township for more than six years after the 2018 Environmental Hearing Board case she brought was settled. Read more here.

The settlement resulted in a moratorium-- not a ban-- on certain DEP approvals for road dumping, and has not stopped conventional well owners from dumping their wastewater on public roads. Read more here.

On April 4 and 15, Lawson said oil and gas wastewater was dumped on Lindell Road that runs past her home.

On April 17 she provided testimony to the Senate Committee on the issue of road dumping. Read more here.

And then on April 19, she said, “I left [home], I believe it was quarter of nine in the morning and I returned at like ten-thirty. And so there was about an hour and a half, hour and 45 minutes I was gone. And it was during that time period they [dumped again].”

Each time, Lawson said she experienced the symptoms typical of past exposures to oil and gas wastewater-- “burning sinuses, a burning mouth and respiratory issues” and her voice gets hoarse because of the irritation of the vocal cords, which can last for days.

Lawson said, “It's an in your face warning, you can't stop me” move by the industry.

"They sent me a message, which I have to ignore,” said Lawson

She called the Department of Environmental Protection to report the road dumping each time and an inspector came out a few hours after the April 19 dumping, but by then the wastewater had dried.

She said the DEP inspector told her he took measurements for conductivity on the road, but based on that test he could not find evidence of oil and gas wastewater.

Lawson said she is continuing her conversations with DEP because her photos clearly show something was dumped on her road.

Lawson has reported road dumping-- documented with photos-- on nearly every paved and dirt road around her home to DEP.

The roads include state roads Scranton Hollow Road, Miller Hill Road, Jackson Run Road and Follet Run Road as well as local roads Cemetery Road (dirt), West Road (dirt), Creamery Road (tar/chip) and Logan Road (tar/chip).

These are all roads Lawson must use to go to the store, doctors or anywhere else and they’ve been repeatedly dumped on. (See map)

Click Here for Lawson’s photos of dumping on these roads.

“The ink had hardly dried on the 2018 Environmental Hearing Board oil and gas wastewater roads spreading decision when we began seeing dirt roads freshly spread with well head brine from Meadville [Crawford County]-- near DEP Northwest Regional Office-- to Franklin [Venango County] and as far East as Bradford [Bradford County],” said Lawson.

“We frequently travel south through the Warren, Forest, Crawford and Venango areas and dirt road after dirt road would bear the telltale marks of fresh brine spreading.

“In 2022, we began noticing wellhead brine was being dumped on paved roads, year round,” said Lawson. “When wet, fresh wellhead brine looks much different on paved roads than commercial PennDOT brine. When dry, it leaves a much different residue and stain marking.

“We have seen widespread evidence of wellhead road brining spanning from roads in Chautauqua County in New York as far South as I-80 and Ridgeway [Elk County],” Lawson explained.

“In 2024, oil and gas wastewater road dumping is once again on the upswing.”

Click Here for Lawson’s testimony before the Senate Committee on road dumping.

Report Violations To DEP

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

Related Articles - Senate Hearing:

-- Senate Hearing: The Case For An Immediate, Total Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: Penn State Expert: ‘No More Research That Needs To Be Done’ To Justify A Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: First-Hand Account Of Health, Environmental Impacts From Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater - ‘Inhaling Oil & Gas Wastewater 24-Hours A Day’ [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: 3.5 Million Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumped On PA Public Roads Since DEP’s ‘Moratorium’ On Dumping Started 6 Years Ago [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: DEP Still Evaluating The Data On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater; Asks Public To Report Road Dumping [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 20 to 26 - 2 Venting Shale Gas Wells; 16 More Conventional Abandoned Well Violations, 1 Shale Gas Well Abandonment [PaEN]