DEP Working With Heirs Of Deceased Owner Of 43 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells On State Game Land In Venango County To Clarify Current Status

On March 9, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection posted March 4 inspection reports on 14 abandoned conventional oil and gas wells owned by Carol A. Morrison Baker on State Game Lands in Cranberry Township, Venango County saying the agency is working with the heirs of the deceased owner to clarify the status of the wells.

Morrison Baker held a total of 217 permits of which there are 43 abandoned conventional wells.

DEP issued violations for these abandoned wells in 2025 and 2026 and then confirmed the owner was deceased.  [Read more here.]

The March 4, 2026  DEP inspection reports for 14 of the wells reported the agency was able to make contact with the operator’s family about the wells.

The family reported the wells were sold before the owner’s passing, but the formal transfers were not completed.

DEP said it was working with the family to “remedy this situation.”

There was no indication in the reports about who now owns the abandoned wells.

DEP issued fresh notices of violations for well abandonment and failure to submit annual production, waste generation and well integrity reports for the 14 wells.

Click Here for links to the inspection reports for the 14 abandoned conventional wells.

Report Violations

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

Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s 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.

(Photo: Morrison State Game Lands 45 abandoned conventional well.)

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

[Note: These may not be all the NOVs issued to oil and gas companies during this time period.  Additional inspection reports may be added to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.]

Related Article This Week:

-- Environmental Hearing Board Grants Request By Center For Coalfield Justice To Intervene In EQT Production Co. Appeal Of DEP Records Request In Ongoing Investigation Of 940,000 Gallon Shale Gas Wastewater Spill In Washington County, Six Other Well Pads  [PaEN]  

[Posted: March 10, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

PJM Interconnection Latest Power Auction Results In $164.70/MW-Day Clearing Price, Well Below $329/MW-Day Price Cap, Below Collar Floor

On March 9, the PJM Interconnection released the results of its February 24 Third Incremental Capacity Auction which resulted in a clearing price of $164.70/MW-day for delivery in 2026/27, well below the price collar cap of $329/MW-day, as reported by Jack Graham, Aurora Energy Research.

The price is also below the $177/MW-day floor set in the price collar that states suggested and PJM applied to FERC to extend.

Just for comparison in previous auctions, the clearing price for base power auctions were $28.92/MW-day in February 2023, $269.92/MW-day in July 2024, $329/MW-day in July 2025 (without the cap $389/MW-day) and $329/MW-day in December ($529/MW-day without the cap), according to PJM.

PJM said Incremental Auctions provide a mechanism for capacity suppliers to sell and purchase capacity and a means for PJM to adjust previously committed capacity levels due to Reliability Requirement increases or decreases.

A key difference between this auction and the last capacity auction was estimated power peak load demand was reduced by 2.5 GW and higher effective load-carrying capacity ratings for many generation resources during the winter, according to Graham.

The peak demand estimates are driven by changing, estimated A.I. data center demands.

PJM has not yet commented on the results of the auction, other than issuing the auction results

Click Here for a copy of the PJM auction results.

Visit the PJM Interconnection website for more information.

[Note: This post will be updated when more information becomes available.]

Resource Links:

-- Senate PUC Budget Hearing: PUC Chair Says PJM Market Auction Not Designed For Data Center Demands; PA Needs To Diversify Fuels Used To Generate Electricity; Bring Your Own Power Critical [PaEN] 

-- Sen. Yaw Urges FERC To Allow PJM To Keep Charging Pennsylvania Ratepayers Record High Capacity Auction Prices For Power, But Charge Other States Even More [PaEN]

-- House Committee Reports Out Bills To Require Data Centers To Disclose Energy, Water Use, Direct DCED To Develop Model Data Center Ordinance  [PaEN]  

-- New Comprehensive Report Lays Out Case For 3-Year A.I. Data Center Moratorium To Be Introduced In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

[Posted: March 9, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

Environmental Hearing Board Grants Request By Center For Coalfield Justice To Intervene In EQT Production Co. Appeal Of DEP Records Request In Ongoing Investigation Of 940,000 Gallon Shale Gas Wastewater Spill In Washington County, Six Other Well Pads

On March 9, the Environmental Hearing Board granted a request by the Center for Coalfield Justice to intervene in an EQT Production Co. appeal of a DEP records request in an ongoing investigation of a 940,000 gallon shale gas wastewater spill in North Bethlehem Township, Washington County and similar failures at at least six other EQT well pads.  [EHB Docket: 2024117]

The release of shale gas wastewater at the Brova and six other EQT shale gas well pads DEP determined were caused by corroded 3-inch metal pipes known as “dump lines” between equipment that separated natural gas from wastewater and wastewater storage tanks. Read more here.

EQT has repeatedly challenged DEP’s authority to request information and records during this investigation included a July 2024 Order and a previous subpoena, over incidents that began in December 2021, according to a copy of the DEP order obtained by a Right To Know request by PA Environment Digest. Read more here.

The Environmental Hearing Board said according to a status report filed by EQT and DEP, the parties have been actively involved in “robust” settlement discussions of the appeal since approximately March 2025

On February 12, 2026, the Center for Coalfield Justice filed a petition to intervene in the EQT appeal because its members have an interest in “opposing attempts to nullify a regulation that is legally ‘necessary’ to protect the groundwater resources that sustain them and their environment.”

The Center said the regulation EQT was challenging was 25 Pa. Code § 78a.64a that requires secondary containment around equipment on a shale gas well pad containing regulated substances like wastewater.

The Center it “has an interest in defending the Department’s authority to obtain certain information from regulated entities because “[o]btaining, analyzing, translating, and communicating information about Southwestern Pennsylvania’s environmental resources is essential to CCJ’s operations,” and it obtains such information from the Department via informal file reviews and the state’s Right to Know Law.”

EQT opposed the request to intervene saying “ CCJ’s sole interest in the appeal is in the legal precedent that might be set regarding the Department’s ability to require secondary containment under 25 Pa. Code § 78a.64a and to demand documents pursuant to its investigative authority under 58 Pa. C.S. § 3258."

EQT also said the Center failed to allege the resources at risk or likely to be at risk from the operations of its seven well pads involved in the appeal, although the Center said one of its members lives within one mile of the Brova well pad and another within two miles.

DEP filed a letter of “no opposition” to the Center’s intervention.

In its opinion, the Board said-- “To say that there is no connection between the Appellants’ operations at issue in this appeal and CCJ’s operations would be a stretch.”

The Board noted the Center conducts its operations primarily in Washington and Greene County and “CCJ’s membership and its operations as an organization will undoubtedly be implicated.”

“In particular, if the Board were to rule that the Appellants did not have to comply with the Department’s Order, the Appellants would not be required to install secondary containment for the dump line at the Brova Site.” 

The Board said-- “There is nothing currently in the record before us to indicate that the problems experienced at the Brova Site and the other six well sites will not continue as time progresses, despite replacement of the dump line with a new pipe.”

“We are satisfied that the information provided in the affidavit has a sufficient level of trustworthiness to support the assertions made within.”

Click Here for a copy of the EHB Order.  [EHB Docket: 2024117]

(Photos: Row 1- Initial report of release “more than 5 gallons” on Brova well pad that turned into 940,000 gallons; Corroded wastewater pipes; Wastewater pipe network laid out during investigation;  Row 2-  One of several monitoring wells drilled around the Brova site; Brova well pad impacts map; Continuing wastewater seep with distressed vegetation at Brova well pad (4.16.25).)

Resource Link:

-- DEP: EQT Production Co. Challenges Records Requests In Ongoing Investigation Of The 2020-21 Release Of 940,000 Gallons Of Shale Gas Wastewater In North Bethlehem Twp., Washington County And Similar Failures At At Least 6 Other EQT Well Pads  [PaEN]

[Posted: March 9, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

Senators Malone, Miller Announce Bill To Protect Private Well Users By Licensing Water Well Drillers

On March 9, James Andrew Malone (D-Lancaster) and Senator Nick Miller (D-Lehigh) announced legislation that would establish the first statewide licensing framework for water well drillers in Pennsylvania to create greater accountability within the industry and protect consumers.

Click Here for cosponsor memo.

Proper siting and construction of private water wells are critical for ensuring safe drinking water and protecting public health. 

[Private wells are the primary source of drinking water for about 3.5 million Pennsylvanians, approximately 20,000 new drinking water wells are drilled each year in the state, according to Penn State Extension.

[The Extension found 41% of the existing 1 million drinking water wells in the state fail to meet at least one health-based drinking water standard.

[Click Here for an FAQ on water wells.] 

Pennsylvania is one of only three states that do not have statewide industry licensing requirements for well drillers. 

This bill will establish professional licensing criteria for water well drillers, as well as geotechnical, environmental, and geothermal drillers who install groundwater heat pump systems.

“We have around 38,000 private water wells in Lancaster County, and millions of people across Pennsylvania rely on private wells for their drinking water,” said Senator Malone. “Following a hearing on the issue that we held back in November, I worked with Senator Miller and a wide range of government, industry, and academic stakeholders to move this practical licensing framework for water well drillers forward to protect families who use private wells.”

“Millions of Pennsylvanians rely on private water wells as their primary source of drinking water, making their safety a critical priority,” said Senator Miller. “Last November, as Chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee and in collaboration with Senator Malone, we convened a hearing to closely examine the state of our water systems and residential well protections. Today, we are taking proactive measures to advance legislation that will provide safe, reliable drinking water for more Pennsylvanians.”

This licensing framework relies on existing regulations and industry best practices. 

The requirements were developed in consultation with industry professionals and public health experts and are supported by representatives from the oil and gas, agricultural, building, engineering, and drilling industries, as well as state agencies, consumer, health, and environmental groups.

Click Here for the announcement.

[Visit the Penn State Extension’s Master Well Owner Network webpage, the PA Ground Water Association website and DEP’s Private Water Wells webpage for more information on private water wells.]

[Posted: March 9, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

PA Solar Center March 27 Webinar: Helping Faith Institutions Go Solar With Solar Faithful

The Pennsylvania Solar Center and Solar Faithful are joining together to help faith-based organizations in Pennsylvania lead the way for Caring for Creation and saving money for their congregations.

Join Solar Faithful for a March 27 webinar from Noon to 1:15 p.m. to learn how the group is increasing solar energy access among faith-based organizations and explore their unique financing options for faith-based institutions going solar. 

In addition to working with houses of worship, congregations, religious schools, faith-based nonprofits, buildings of regional bodies, and multi-faith organizations, they prioritize working with organizations in communities that are historically disadvantaged, which helps to reduce energy costs.

The PA Solar Center will review our GET Solar Program, which provides organizations with full-spectrum consulting services to help them understand if solar is a good fit for them, estimate potential savings from going solar, and understand how to access all possible financial options. 

The PA Solar Center's GET Solar team can help institutions of faith place their projects out for bid and find qualified professionals to install solar.

More and more organizations, including faith institutions, have been reaping the benefits of solar energy. 

Many are offsetting their electricity usage by 50% to 100% percent and are reinvesting those cost savings back into their missions.

Speakers will include: 

-- Rob Rafson, Executive Director, Solar Faithful

-- Leo Kowalski, Director of Transformation, PA Solar Center 

Who should attend? 

-- Institutions of faith

-- Elected officials and staff  

-- Renewable energy owners, operators and/or investors  

-- Solar developers  

-- General public and anyone interested in learning more!  

General Registration is $15 for this webinar, and is free for nonprofits, elected officials and legislative staff, as well as for the media and students.

Click Here to register and to learn more.

Visit the Pennsylvania Solar Center and Solar Faithful website to learn more.

[Posted: March 9, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust Partner With Landowners To Permanently Preserve 18-Acres In Charlestown Twp., Chester County

On March 9, the French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust announced the completion of a voluntary conservation easement to permanently preserve Hugh and Sally Willig’s 18-acre property along Sycamore Lane in Charlestown Township. 

The protection of this land adds to a growing mosaic of open space, habitat, and preserved properties that sustain healthy communities and protect the quality of life for the people of northern Chester County and downstream.

“This project is an exciting win for conservation in the region,” said Karl Russek, Conservation Director. “French & Pickering is delighted to help Hugh and Sally ensure the permanent protection of their property for future generations.”

This property sits within the high-quality Pickering Creek Watershed and features important wildlife habitat. 

The Willigs are accomplished naturalists who have stewarded their property to support the birds and other wildlife they have shared a home with for over 30 years.

“Preservation minded landowners like the Willigs are the cornerstone of conservation in Chester County,” noted Bill Gladden, Executive Director. “We are also grateful to the Charlestown Township Supervisors whose full support was critical to this project’s success.”

French & Pickering is grateful for the generosity of the Willig Family and their dedication to protecting land and water. The protection of this property is also another win for the longstanding partnership between French & Pickering and Charlestown Township.

Click Here for the announcement.

Visit the French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust website to learn more about land conservation.

(Photo: Kevin Kuhn (Charlestown Township Board of Supervisors), Hugh Willig, Sally Willig, Karl Russek (French & Pickering Conservation Director), Ellen Scott (French & Pickering Board President).

[Posted: March 9, 2026]  PA Environment Digest