PA Environment Digest

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DEP Did Over 107,000 Inspections, Found 35,237 Violations, Responded To 410 Emergencies In 2024 To Protect PA's Environment, Public Safety

On January 6, the Department of Environmental Protection reported its staff conducted over 107,000 inspections to protect Pennsylvanians’ constitutional right to clean air, pure water, and a healthy and safe environment.

During those inspections, DEP identified 35,237 violations, and resolved 32,699 of them, including some from 2023.

DEP also responded to 410 environmental emergencies, like spills from traffic accidents to chemical fires.

The emergencies included a sewage pipeline break in Lycoming County, multiple abandoned mine subsidence incidents in Luzerne County, and helping to coordinate disaster responses during Tropical Storm Debby.

After such emergencies, DEP staff return to the site to assess and implement necessary cleanup measures, such as removing contaminated soil or filling an abandoned mine subsidence with concrete to make it more stable(opens in a new tab).

DEP inspections include both scheduled and unscheduled on-site visits to permitted facilities, as well as document reviews to verify compliance with environmental laws and regulations.

These inspections—whether on-site or operational—ensure that air emissions stay within air quality standards, drinking water remains safe, and rivers and streams are protected from pollution.

They also encourage industry to invest in technologies, training, and practices to comply with regulations and level the playing field for companies that are working in good faith to comply with state rules and promote environmental stewardship.

DEP’s efforts to hold polluters accountable also included investing civil penalties into Pennsylvania communities.

In Beaver County, DEP, and the Beaver County Environmental Mitigation Fund, awarded more than $4.7 million to fund community projects in areas affected by the Shell petrochemical facility.

In Washington County, DEP secured more than $1.6 million from legacy pollution from the site of a former zinc smelter, which will fund community projects once the final cleanup of the site is complete.

“DEP works tirelessly to ensure that we are fulfilling our mission of protecting the air, land, and water of Pennsylvania,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “We are here to ensure that our natural resources are protected from pollution — and holding polluters accountable — so that companies that play by the rules can continue to flourish here in the Commonwealth. When there is an accident or an emergency that threatens the environment and safety of our residents, DEP staff are there to guide the response.”

Click Here for DEP's announcement.

Search “Compliance Actions” in PA Environment Digest for more information on compliance actions taken by DEP in 2024 and prior years.

Oil & Gas Program

DEP’s Oil and Gas Program conducted over 47,736 inspections during 2024-- 24,216 inspections of unconventional shale gas facilities, 17,347 conventional oil and gas wells and 6,173 site and client inspections, through December 27, 2024.

DEP issued 7,296 violations to conventional oil and gas well owners, far exceeding the 6,860 violations issued in 2023, 5,416 violations issued in 2022 and 4,514 violations in 2021 [Read more here].

DEP also issued 495 compliance orders, consent agreements and took other enforcement actions against conventional operators.

The most frequent violation continues to be abandoning and not plugging conventional wells.

DEP issued 850 violations for conventional well abandonment through December 20 in 2024. DEP issued 512 violations for abandoned wells in 2023.

DEP has only seen an increase in noncompliance by the conventional oil and gas industry, confirming yet again its conclusion that the conventional industry’s culture of non-compliance is an “acceptable norm.” Read more here

DEP issued 1,129 violations to unconventional shale gas well owners and issued 131 compliance orders, consent agreements and other enforcement actions.

DEP took 129 enforcement actions against shale gas companies in 2023.

DEP issued 42 violations to 12 shale gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells in 2024, through December 21, sometimes dating back 42 months. Read more here.

In 2023, DEP issued or continued 20 violations to 10 shale gas well owners for abandoned and not plugging their wells. Read more here.

Visit DEP’s Oil & Gas Compliance Reporting Database and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.

Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.

Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.

Report Violations

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

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website. Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

Resource Link:

-- Gov. Shapiro Highlights Environmental Protection, Climate Change, Clean Energy, Public Lands, Recreation Accomplishments In First 2 Years [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboard

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 21 to 31 - Record Number Conventional, Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations In 2024; Gas Storage Area Well Leaks [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - January 1 to 10 - First 4 Abandoned Conventional Wells Of 2025; Methane Reduction Grant Inspections; Well Leaking Gas For 27 Months [PaEN]

-- PUC Approves $700,000 Penalty For Columbia Gas Plastic Pipeline Explosion In Clarion County [PaEN]

-- PUC Approves Settlement In 2019 Philadelphia Gas Works Explosion That Killed 2, Displaced 60 Residents [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - January 11 [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission To Hold Jan. 30 Hearing On New General Into Basin Transfers, Water Withdrawal Requests - 6 For Shale Gas Development [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 84 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 11 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles:

-- Powering The Planet: The Cleanup Bill For The Fracking Boom Is Already Here; Shale Gas Drillers Are Already Abandoning Their Wells - By Justin Mikulka, Powering The Planet [PA Examples] [PaEN]

-- DEP Did Over 107,000 Inspections, Found 35,237 Violations, Responded To 410 Emergencies In 2024 To Protect PA's Environment, Public Safety [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission To Hold Jan. 30 Hearing On New General Into Basin Transfers, Water Withdrawal Requests - 6 For Shale Gas Development [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Fate Of Butterflies And More Depends On Us - ‘We Are The Stewards And Caretakers Of This World, The Only World That We Have, It’s Time We Started Acting Like It’ [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- The Energy Age Blog: DEP Invites Comments On Draft Guidance For Land Application Of Excess Water From Shale Gas Well Development Impoundments

-- Bucks County Beacon - Justin Mikulka: The Cleanup Bill For The Fracking Boom Is Already Here In States Like Pennsylvania

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh-Based Epiphany Environmental LLC Frack Waste Treatment Company Files For Bankruptcy - Had Proposed Plant In Potter County With 2023 PennVEST Funding [PDF of Article]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Are U-Turn Shale Gas Wells The Future Of Drilling? One In Susquehanna County Now [PDF of Article]

-- TribLive: Environmental Hearing Board To Review DEP Shale Gas Well Permit Renewals To Apex Energy In Penn Twp., Westmoreland County

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Abandoned Conventional Well Plugging In Western PA Could Speed Up Under Deal Reached With West Virginia Landowners, Diversified Energy

-- ABCNews: Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells Bring Fears Of Leak Dangers, ABC News Investigation Finds

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Methane Emission Reduction Is Becoming A Booming Industry In Pennsylvania - By Center for Methane Emissions Solutions

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.06 Ohio- $2.98 PA- $3.26

-- Financial Times: Oil Price Hits 3-Month High On Strong China Demand

-- Reuters: Oil Prices Hold At 3-Month High On Stronger Demand