PA Environment Digest Blog: Observer-Reporter: Ongoing Water Donation Drive Helping Dozens Of Greene County Families Who Haven’t Had Clean Drinking Water Since June Following Alleged ‘Frack-Out’ At Natural Gas Well Site

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Observer-Reporter: Ongoing Water Donation Drive Helping Dozens Of Greene County Families Who Haven’t Had Clean Drinking Water Since June Following Alleged ‘Frack-Out’ At Natural Gas Well Site

On November 12, the Observer-Reporter reported dozens of Greene County households affected by an alleged EQT drilling “frack-out” from an unconventional shale natural gas well are benefiting from a Center for Coalfield Justice water donation drive.

[A “frack-out” occurs when fracking fluid is pumped down a shale gas well under pressure to fracture shale rock to promote natural gas flow, but instead finds an abandoned conventional oil and gas well and follows that well up to groundwater aquifers and sometimes blows out on the ground surface like a geyser.]

The families said they haven’t had clean drinking water since a June 19 “incident” where EQT reported a “possible communication” between its 13H lateral well and an abandoned conventional oil or gas well while fracking two new wells at its Lumber pad along Martin Hill Road near New Freeport in Greene County. [Read more here.]

[In a statement to Public Source in July, EQT said, “water was brought to the surface near an abandoned well” and that it had stopped drilling operations at its well a mile away “out of an abundance of caution.”]

“Ongoing testing shows that the water for dozens of households is unsafe to drink,” the Center for Coalfield Justice said in a statement. “There is currently an ongoing investigation by the Department of Environmental Protection, but most residents are outside the ‘zone of presumption’ and are not being supplied with replacement water.”

[Under Act 13 of 2012 Section 3218(c), an unconventional shale gas well operator is presumed to be responsible for pollution of a water supply if the water supply is within 2,500 feet of the vertical well bore and must provide temporary water supplies to those affected.

[EQT said in July, the well bore was a mile away from where fracking water come to the surface near an abandoned well. ]

In response, Coalfield Justice organized the donation drive asking for people to bring cases of bottled water or jugs to help residents.

The organization estimates it will need about 450 five-gallon jugs per month to provide water for the community, and it is hoping to supplement it through the holidays.

“Since June, many residents have purchased every drop of water they drink or cook with,” Coalfield Justice wrote in its statement. “Some of them are still showering with unsafe water. The nearest big-box store is 40 minutes away, and city water is unavailable in their area. This frack-out has completely and unfairly inconvenienced them and negatively affected their quality of life.”

EQT said at the time it was working with residents in the area and monitoring water quality there, although it was not known if they were providing water to affected households. A spokesperson for the company could not be reached for comment Friday.

DEP spokeswoman Lauren Fraley said Friday that the situation is “still an active water supply and stray gas investigation,” and that EQT is not permitted to continue operations at the well site until it gets agency approval.

She added that DEP is still waiting for additional information from EQT before they can conclude the investigation.

“We are still investigating it,” she said.

Click Here to read the entire article.

To Make A Water Donation

An in-person water donation drop off will be held November 14 at the Center for Coalfield Justice, 31 E. Chestnut Street in Washington, Greene County from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Online donations are also being accepted to purchase water for the families affected in New Freeport.

Click Here for instructions on how you can be part of the New Freeport Water Drive.

NewsClips - New Freeport:

-- Observer-Reporter: Center For Coalfield Justice Holding Water Donation Drives In Greene County For Families Who Say They Have Not Had Clean Drinking Water Since June Following An Alleged EQT “Frack-Out” At Natural Gas Well Site

-- Center for Coalfield Justice: How You Can Donate Water To Greene County Families Affected By Alleged EQT “Frack-Out” In June

-- Public Source: Since The ‘Frack-Out,’ It’s Oily Showers, Mysterious Smells And Thirsty Pets For Residents Of A Southwest PA Town

-- Public Source: Four Months After The ‘Frack-Out,’ A Rural Community In Southwest PA Is Told It Still Shouldn’t Drink The Water