On October 30, the full Public Utility Commission approved the October 17 emergency order issued by Administrative Law Judge Mark A. Hoyer appointing Aqua Pennsylvania as temporary receiver of six Rhodes Estate water companies effective October 31.

Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc. was appointed receiver for the  Sugarcreek Water Company, West Hickory Water Company, Plumer Water Company, Fryburg Water Company, and Cooperstown Water Company and Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater, Inc. was named receiver for Blaine E. Rhodes Sewer Company.

Click Here for the PUC opinion and order.

Aqua Pennsylvania is already temporarily operating the seventh Rhodes Estate company-- Venango Water Company supplying water to the Village of Reno in Venango County.

The PUC issued an emergency order August 11, 2023 related to the Venango Water Company when one of its water sources was contaminated by a wastewater spill from a conventional oil well owned by Petro Erie, Inc.

The Rhodes Estate water companies serve a total of 1,047 customers--

-- Sugarcreek Water Company: 67 residential, 1 commercial, 3 public customers [Sugarcreek Boro, Venango County]

-- West Hickory Water Company: 172 residential, 3 commercial, 2 public customers [Harmony Twp., Forest County]

-- Plumer Water Company: 53 residential, 1 commercial, 4 public customers [Cornplanter Twp., Venango County]

-- Fryburg Water Company: 165 residential, 15 commercial, 6 public customer [Pinegrove Twp., Venango County; Washington Twp., Clarion County]

-- Cooperstown Water Company: 127 residential customers [Cooperstown Boro & Jackson Twp., Venango County]

-- Blaine E. Rhodes Sewer Company: 180 residential, 25 commercial, 4 industrial, 5 public customers [Sugarcreek Boro, Venango County]

-- Venango Water Company: 179 residential, 26 commercial, 4 industrial, 5 public customers [Sugarcreek Boro, Venango County]

Visit the Aqua Pennsylvania Rhodes Estate Customers webpage for more information on the Venango Water company receivership.

PUC Proceeding Continues For Permanent Solution

The Public Utility Commission hearings on the future of the seven Rhodes Estate water companies chaired by Administrative Law Judge Mark A. Hoyer began on December 20, 2023  of last year when Randall and Kevin Rhodes made it clear they no longer wanted to be certified operators of the companies.

Judge Hoyer originally established a schedule for considering the future of the Rhodes Estate water companies that would have completed hearings on the issues by the end of this year.

However, that schedule was upended when Randall and Kevin Rhodes said in September they were resigning as water system operators as of October 31 resulting in this new emergency order.

The PUC hearings on finding a permanent operator for the Rhodes Estate water companies will continue.  A revised schedule of future hearings has not yet been established.

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

Cleanup Talks Continue

On September 15, 2023, Petro Erie, Inc. appealed DEP’s August, 2023 order to the Environmental Hearing Board to clean up the wastewater release that contaminated the Village of Reno’s water supply and pay any additional costs incurred by the Venango Water Company as a result of the spill.  Read more here.

In its appeal, Petro Erie, Inc. said it “lacks the financial ability to comply with the Order.”   Read more here.

That appeal is still pending before the Environmental Hearing Board and discussions have been underway between DEP and Petro Erie, Inc. to settle the appeal since March 13, 2024.            [EHB Docket #2023075]

The Board granted the parties another 30-day extension for those talks to continue on October 25, 2024.  They must file a progress report on their discussions no later than November 25.

DEP last inspected the site of the conventional oil well wastewater spill in Venango County that contaminated the water supply on May 1, 2024 and found no progress had been made in cleaning up the site since the spill was discovered in July 2023.  [DEP inspection report.]

Visit DEP’s Venango Water Company/Petro Erie, Inc. webpage to learn more about the actions taken by DEP.

Related Articles - Village Of Reno Water Contamination:

-- The Derrick: PUC Judge Issues Emergency Order Appointing Aqua Pennsylvania As Temporary Operator For 6 Rhodes Estate Water Companies [Serious Community Impacts Continue From Conventional Oil Well Spill In Venango County]

-- The Derrick: PUC Considering Emergency Order To Have Aqua Pennsylvania Take Over 6 Rhodes Estate Water Companies [Fallout Continues From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill 15 Months Ago In Venango County]  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: Are Rate Increases In The Future For Rhodes Estate Water Companies In Venango County? [Impacts Continue From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Contamination Of Water Supply]  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: PUC To Hold Second Hearing July 15 On Venango Water Company [Impacts Continue From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Contamination Of Water Supply]   [PaEN]

-- 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

-- The Derrick: Permanent Alternate Water Supply Being Considered For Village Of Reno, Venango County After Contamination By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill  [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]

-- Do Not Consume Water Advisory Lifted In Village Of Reno; Petro Erie, Inc. Barely Begins Cleanup Of Conventional Oil Wastewater Spill Site That Contaminated The Water Supply In Venango County   [PaEN]

-- DEP Finds 2 More Petro Erie, Inc. Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Tanks With A Pipe Leading To A Discharge Area In A Ditch In Sugarcreek Boro, Venango County  [PaEN]

-- Mayor Of Sugarcreek Asks For Donations To Refill Village Of Reno Water Tank After Contamination In Venango County; Emergency Water Distribution Resumes; Contamination From Conventional Oil Wastewater Tanks Suspected  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: DEP Issues Order To Petro Erie, Inc. To Restore Village Of Reno Water System, Cleanup Contamination Caused By Its Conventional Well Wastewater Release; 1 Month Without Clean Water  [PaEN]

-- DEP Investigates Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Leak As Possible Source Of Village Of Reno Water Supply Contamination In Venango County; Customers Under Do Not Consume Advisory For 2+ Weeks  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 - No Attempt To Contain, Cleanup Injection Well Spill; Gas Storage Area Well Release; More Abandoned Conventional Wells  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 2 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On New Air Pollution Permit For Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Processing Plant In Washington County; Plant Suffered Major Explosion, Fire In 2022  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 82 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 2 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

Related Articles - Gas:

-- DEP Discovers Wastewater Release At Bear Lake Properties Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Warren County During Routine Inspection  [PaEN]

-- Bradford Era:  7-Part Series Details Concerns Residents Of Cyclone, McKean County Have With Catalyst Energy Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well [PaEN]

-- PUC Approves Emergency Order Appointing Aqua Pennsylvania Temporary Operator For 6 Rhodes Estate Water Companies As Fallout Continues From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill In Venango County  [PaEN]

-- Joint Meeting Of DEP Citizens Advisory Council, Environmental Justice Advisory Board Nov. 12 On Oil & Gas Methane Emissions Reductions; Hydrogen Hubs  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Quality Board To Consider Proposed Spill Notification Regulation; Blasting; NOx & VOC Corrections Nov. 12  [PaEN] 

-- Low-Flow Water Conditions Trigger Big Jump In Susquehanna River Basin Water Withdrawal Restrictions, Most Shale Gas-related  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Groups File Notice Of Intent To Sue The Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County For Air Pollution Violations: Similar Action In 2023 Resulted In $10 Million Settlement  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro, Joins 4 Other Governors To Call On PJM To Reform Its Electric Generating Capacity Auction Rules To Prevent Billions Of Dollars In 'Unnecessary’ Costs To Their Residents, Businesses  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: As Fracking Turns 20 In Pennsylvania, Towns Consider New Regulations For Distance Between Homes And Well Pads [Cecil Twp., Washington County]  [PDF of Article]

-- The Derrick - Randy Bartley: Priority To Plug Old Conventional Oil, Gas Wells Deepens For DEP  [PDF of Article]

-- The Derrick - Randy Bartley: Plugging A Problem Abandoned Conventional Gas Well  [PDF of Article]

-- Institute For Energy Economics & Financial Analysis: Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County 'Unlikely To Meet Financial Targets'

-- Inquirer: Electric Bills Are Rising In PA, NJ; Governors Want PJM To Help Cut Costs

-- National Fuel Gas Increases Natural Gas Costs 3.7% On Nov. 1

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drill Rigs Increase One To 13 From Last Week, Still Down From 21 On Aug. 23

-- S&P Global: US Natural Gas Producer Coterra Signs LNG Gas Supply Deals With Vitol, UK’s Centrica Linked To LNG Prices

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Post Biggest Weekly Decline Since January

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Drop As Goldman Warns Of Bearish Risks

[Posted: October 30, 2024]

11/4/2024