On June 17, Public Utility Commission Administrative Law Judge Mark A. Hoyer announced there will be a telephonic prehearing conference on July 15 at 10:00 a.m. to further discuss the proceedings surrounding the future of the Venango Water Company and six other water companies owned by the Blaine Edwin Rodes Estate in Venango County.

The purpose of the prehearing is to further discuss the issues and next steps in the proceeding to determine whether the Commission should issue an order to have another public utility acquire the Venango Water Company and the other companies involved..

The seven companies include the Venango Water Company, Sugar Creek Water Company, West Hickory Water Company, Plumer Water Company, Fryburg Water Company, Cooperstown Water Company and Blaine E. Rhodes Sewer Company.

At a prehearing on May 28, Judge Hoyer issued an order requiring the seven water companies owned by the Blaine Edwin Rhodes Estate, as well as the Estate itself, to hire legal representation to participate in upcoming hearings about how they will be operated in the future.

These actions are related to the problems caused by the oil well spill that contaminated the Bellows Spring water supply last July, resulting in a “do not consume” advisory in the Village of Reno that lasted six weeks.

The PUC last August issued an emergency order to Aqua Pennsylvania to operate the Venango Water Company so clean water would continue to be provided to its customers.

The new PUC action was prompted by the desire of Randall and Kevin Rhodes, operators of the Venango Water Company for the Rhodes Estate, to cease being certified operators for their water companies.

Participating In Prehearing

Details on how to join the July 15 prehearing are available in the official notice.

Only parties formally part of this proceeding can participate in the prehearing, however, the public and others may listen to the discussion at during the hearing.

Other Parties Joining The Case

The customers and municipalities served by seven water systems owned by the Rhodes Estate  were notified May 14 by the Public Utility Commission of the hearings being held and the steps they can take to intervene in the proceeding.

The deadline to file a petition to intervene is July 12.  The instructions on how to file and other information is available in the notice.

Documents related to this proceeding can be found at PUC Docket No. M-2023-3042180 and I-2023-3042312.

Related Articles - Village Of Reno Water Contamination:

-- The Derrick: PUC Judge Orders 7 Rhodes Estate Water Companies To Secure Counsel For Hearings On Their Future [More Fallout From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill In Venango County]  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: PUC To Hold May 21 Prehearing On Future Of Venango Water Company; Water Source Contaminated By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: State Intervenes In Venango Water Case [Fallout Continues From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill]   [PaEN] 

-- The Derrick: Public Utility Commission Starts Investigation Into Possible Order For Another Utility To Permanently Acquire Venango Water Company Impacted By Conventional Oil Well Spill [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: Aqua Pennsylvania Continues To Operate The Water System Serving The Village Of Reno After A Conventional Well Wastewater Release Contaminated Its Water Supply Last July In Venango County  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: DEP: Little Headway In Reno Oil Well Wastewater Cleanup In Venango County   [PaEN

-- Petro Erie, Inc. Says It Lacks The Financial Ability To Comply With DEP’s Order To Clean Up Conventional Oil Well Wastewater That Contaminated The Village Of Reno’s Water Supply In Venango County; Will Taxpayers/Ratepayers Be Stuck With Cleanup Costs Again?  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - June 15 to 21 - More Failed Shale Gas Well Plugs; Landslides; Venting Gas; Injection Well Issue?  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - June 22 [PaEN]

-- DEP Hearing, Special Comment Period Notices For Projects In Jefferson (Solar), Lehigh (Warehouse), Lycoming (Gas Pipeline) and York (Air Permit) Counties  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 53 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In June 22 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP To Hold July 2 Virtual Hearing On PA General Energy Project To Construct 3.7 Miles Of Shale Gas, Water Pipelines Thru Exceptional Value, High Quality, Wild Trout Streams In Lycoming County  [PaEN]

-- IRRC Approves Final Revised PUC Regulations Strengthening Rules For Intrastate Hazardous Liquids Pipelines; Gas Pipelines Fined Over $71 Million, Have Worst Compliance Record Of Any Industry, Including Criminal Charges  [PaEN]

-- PUC: Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue Drops $100 Million From Last Year’s Record To $179.6 Million; Puts Hole In State, Local Budgets  [PaEN]  

-- PUC To Hold July 15 Prehearing Conference On Future Of Venango Water Company, Related Companies As Follow-Up To Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill In Venango County  [PaEN]

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-- PennLive: Trout Unlimited, Mid State Trail Assn. Unhappy With Proposed Route Of PA General Energy Shale Gas Pipelines Thru Lycoming County

-- Williamsport Sun: Mid State Trail Assn., Susquehanna Chapter Trout Unlimited Challenge PA General Energy Multiple Shale Gas Pipeline Plan In Northwestern Lycoming County

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Onerous New Regulations Approved For PA Liquids Pipelines, Landmen

-- Warren Times Guest Essay: Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Still Pose A Threat - By Amanda Veazey, Geologist, CSR Services, LLC, Crawford County

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Shale Gas Drilling Impact Fees Bring In $180 Million For 2023 On Lower Gas Price, Less Drilling

-- Observer-Reporter: Shale Gas Impact Fee Funds Plummet Due To Low Natural Gas Prices 

-- The Energy Age Blog: Act 13 Shale Gas Impact Fee Drops $100 Million From Last Year’s Record, Even Though Gas Production Increased In 2023

-- TribLive: Natural Gas Well Impact Fee Allocations Drop; But ‘Every Little Bit Helps’

-- Marcellus Shale Coalition: Shale Gas Impact Fee Returns $180 Million [$100 Million Less Than Last Year]; Natural Gas Prices Drop $1.8 Billion In 2023, [Down From International Price Spikes Of 2022]

-- TribLive: North Huntingdon Twp Could Get Nearly $7,000 For Gas Rights Under Township Land In Westmoreland County

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy Podcast: How Potential For Global LNG Gas Oversupply Could Affect The Competitiveness Of The US Industry

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: CNX Plan To Turn Mine Methane Gas Into Jet Fuel A ‘Win-Win’ Or Carbon Accounting ‘Gimmick’?

-- WHYY: Former Employees Remember Philadelphia Refinery Explosion, 5 Years Later: ‘This Is How I’m Gonna Die’

-- BeaverCountian.com: Shell Petrochemical Plant’s Sirens Caused Alarm In Beaver County; Company Took Nearly A Month To Address Middle-of-the-Night Alarms

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Shell Petrochemical Plant Explains Nighttime Fire Alarms At Beaver County Plant, Warns Sirens Will Sound Later This Week

-- KDKA: Shell Petrochemical Plant Holding Emergency Drill TODAY In Beaver County

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Will Creating Hydrogen Hubs In PA Get Us Away From Fossil Fuels? But How To Do It, And Whether It’s Possible Are Open Questions

-- CNHInews: Advocates Urge True Clean Energy Approach For Hydrogen, Others Pine For PA’s Natural Gas

-- Bloomberg: Cracks Appearing In LNG Gas Demand By China As Gas Supply Via Pipelines Grows

-- Reuters: Oil Companies Flare More Natural Gas, Defying Effort To Eliminate Practice 

-- Reuters: Fossil Fuel Use, Emissions Hit Records In 2023, Report Says

[Posted: June 18, 2024]

6/24/2024