PA Environment Digest Blog: UPDATED with Agenda/Location/Remote Access: DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council Meets April 21 On Conventional Drilling Issues

DCED’s PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council, related to conventional oil and gas drilling, is scheduled to hold a meeting April 21 in State College.

The agenda includes multiple items--

-- Update on disposing of drilling wastewater by road spreading

-- Report on a phone call with DEP’s Waste Management (related to road spreading)

-- Update on treatment plans (for drilling wastewater)

-- DEP Update on Bipartisan Infrastructure conventional well plugging program

-- Report on Council’s review of DEP’s draft changes to conventional drilling regulations

-- Discussion of DEP’s draft Environmental Justice Permit Review Policy

-- Discussion of PA’s methane regulation proposal

-- Impact of “geopolitical unrest” in Ukraine on industry

Click Here for the complete agenda.

Available Handouts

DCED made available these handouts for the meeting--

-- Draft Minutes from August 19, 2021 Council Meeting

-- Draft Minutes from February 25, 2022 Regulatory Review Committee Meeting

-- Draft Comments on DEP’s update to conventional drilling regulations (71 pages)

-- PA Oil & Gas Deed Language Related To Reservation of Rights

-- Examples of where DEP’s conventional regulations “exceed” state, federal law in the view of some Council members

The meeting will be held at the Technology Center, Room 243, 200 Innovation Blvd. in State College starting at 10:00 a.m. Remote access by dial in to: 267-332-8737. Conference ID: 910 985 838#.

For more information, visit DCED’s PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council webpage. Questions should be directed to Adam Walters, adwalters@pa.gov or call 717-214-6548.

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Oil & Gas Advisory Board Has Spill Reporting, Funding For Well Plugging; Permit Fees; Carbon Capture; New Regs On April 25 Agenda

-- New Ohio River Valley Institute Report Shows Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owner Diversified Energy Lacks Resources To Plug Wells, Including 22,507 Wells In PA

-- Dog Whistles: House Republicans Pass Bills Adding More Bureaucracy To DEP Permits Reviews; Pretending To Increase Natural Gas Production In PA

-- Preliminary Results From New Penn State Study Find Increased Cancer, Health Risks From Road Dumping Conventional Drilling Wastewater, Especially For Children

-- Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Spread Illegally On Dirt Roads, Companies Fail To Comply With DEP Waste Regulations

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Drillers Press DEP To Reduce Environmental Safeguards For Drilling And Treat Them The Same As Wind, Solar Energy Facilities

-- New Abandoned Wells: DEP Records Show Abandoning Oil & Gas Wells Without Plugging Them Is Pervasive In Conventional Drilling Industry; Who Is Protecting Taxpayers?

-- Quarterly Report: DEP Issued 77 Notices Of Violations To Conventional Drillers, 8 To Shale Gas Drillers For Attempting To Abandon Wells Without Plugging Them [4.7.22]

[“Warning: The average person is likely to be shocked at the number and extent of the violations documented by DEP day in and day out.”]

-- DEP To Prohibit Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers With Unresolved Environmental Violations From Getting Conventional Well Plugging Contracts; 133 Companies Interested In Doing Well Plugging Work

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Pay Only $46,100 Of The $10,600,000 It Costs DEP To Regulate That Industry; Taxpayers May Be Asked To Pay The Difference