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On July 15, Eureka Resources submitted a request to the Department of Environmental Protection to terminate the water quality permit for a proposed oil and gas wastewater treatment facility in Dimock, Susquehanna County due to changed “commercial factors.”
The notification came in the form of a Notice to Terminate the NPDES Water Quality Permit it was issued in January 2022.
The only explanation Eureka Resources provided for the termination was this short statement--
“Plans for construction of the proposed facility have changed based on commercial factors; Eureka Resources will not be moving forward with the project; NPDES permit coverage will not [be] required; proposed facility was never constructed and no wastewater was ever discharged.”
The request to terminate the permit was signed by company CEO Daniel J. Ertel.
DEP approved the request to terminate the permit in a July 24 letter saying it will become effective in 30 days.
The proposed Eureka Resources facility was part of the many controversies over shale gas drilling in the Dimock area of Susquehanna County and was opposed by local citizens.
Sen. Katie Muth (D-Chester) tried to intervene in the issue in 2022 by pursuing an appeal of the water quality permit for the facility but was rebuffed by the Environmental Hearing Board and Commonwealth Court for lack of standing. Read more here.
What Else We Know
On August 19, the Department of Environmental Protection inspected the Eureka Resources Standing Stone oil and gas wastewater treatment plant in Standing Stone Township, Bradford County and found the plant shut down and all the workers were laid off in July.
The telephone number at the plant has been disconnected. Read more here.
On August 23, Marcellus Drilling News reported Eureka Resources plans to close or sell two of its oil and gas wastewater treatment plants in Williamsport and downsize its operations to only one facility-- its Standing Stone Treatment Facility in Bradford County. Read more here.
Resource Links - Eureka Resources:
-- Eureka Resources Shuts Down Standing Stone Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Facility; DEP Wastewater, Waste Violations Continue From Feb. 2023 [PaEN]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Eureka Resources Plans To Close/Sell 2 Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Plants In Williamsport: Not Enough Wastewater Volume To Keep Plants Open [PaEN]
-- Eureka Resources Request To Terminate Its Water Quality Permit For A Proposed Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Facility In Dimock, Susquehanna County Approved By DEP [PaEN]
-- Former Employees Of Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Company Ask For Criminal Investigation Of Eureka And An Audit Of DEP Over Alleged Workplace, Environmental Violations [PaEN]
-- Rocket-Courier: Sayre Man Killed At Eureka Resources Standing Stone Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Plant [September, 2022]
-- Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Report On Worker Death.
-- Eureka Resources Extracted 97% Pure Lithium Carbonate Used In Making Lithium-ion Batteries From Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN]
-- Gov. Wolf Announces Redevelopment Assistance Project Grants, Including $30.4 Million For 20 Environmental, Recreation, Energy Projects [PaEN]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - August 17 to 23 - Failure Of Casing During Fracking; 46 Day Delay In Water Compliant Notice; Closing 3 Wastewater Treatment Facilities; 40 More Abandoned Conventional Wells [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - August 24 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 70 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 24 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Eureka Resources Shuts Down Standing Stone Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Facility; DEP Wastewater, Waste Violations Continue From Feb. 2023 [PaEN]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Eureka Resources Plans To Close/Sell 2 Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Plants In Williamsport: Not Enough Wastewater Volume To Keep Plants Open [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Meets Sept. 12 On Water Withdrawal Requests - Including 8 Shale Gas Development, Gas Power Plant; Budget; Procurement Regulations [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved, Renewed 33 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In July; 188 General Permits So Far In 2024 [PaEN]
-- DEP Designates Renewal Of Marcus Hook Terminal Air Quality Permit Subject To Environmental Justice Enhanced Public Participation; Stormwater Permit Also Pending [PaEN]
NewsClips This Week:
-- Times West Virginian: EPA OKs $3.1 Million, More Time To Clean Up Abandoned Fairmont, WV Oil & Gas Wastewater Plant; Radioactive Materials Confirmed Present [ EPA Response Webpage ]
-- TribLive Letter: Restrictive Natural Gas Regulatory Policies Hurt Pennsylvania [EQT, PA Shale Gas Says We Have A ‘Duty’ To Sell More Gas To China Our Economic, Military Competitor]
-- The Energy Age Blog: CNX ‘Glowing’ Analysis Of Natural Gas Development Safety Based On Very Limited Air Quality Monitoring
-- Post-Gazette/Inside Climate News: After Partnering With PA To Monitor Itself, CNX Declares Its Fracking Operations ‘Safe’
-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition: CNX Data Confirms Natural Gas Development Not Public Health Risk
-- We’ve Heard This Before: ‘We’re Providing Jobs - Stopping Pollution Threatens Jobs’ - A Brief Review Of Pennsylvania’s Conservation History
-- Marcellus Drilling News/WV Gazette Mail: Diversified Energy Plugs Its Own Conventional Orphan Oil & Gas Wells
-- WSJ: A Natural Gas Glut Is Forcing Drillers To Dial Back - Again; Oversupply Persists Despite Hot Weather
-- Bloomberg Podcast: Rising Tide Of LNG Gas Exports May Become Glut; Role Of China, US In How LNG Moves Around The Globe
-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Swings As Futures Remain Near Overbought Levels
-- Reuters: NextDecade Withdraws Carbon Capture Project Application At FERC Related To Texas LNG Gas Export Facility
-- The Guardian: Group Of Republican Attorneys General Blocking Climate Laws Funded By Oil Firms, Dark Money
[Posted: August 5, 2024]
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