PA Environment Digest Blog: Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - May 27 to June 2 -- Conventional Operators Fail To Start Plugging, Fail To Cleanup Spills; More NOVs For Abandoning Wells

From May 27 to June 2, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 529 inspection entries that resulted in reporting 107 new and continuing violations of environmental regulations-- 83 violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 23 violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry.

So far this year-- as of May 26-- DEP issued 2,694 formal notices of violation to conventional operators and 621 to unconventional shale gas operators based on 6,490 inspections of conventional facilities and 10,306 inspections of unconventional shale gas facilities.

Conventional Operators Refuse To Plug Wells

The Department of Environmental Protection gave notice in the June 3 PA Bulletin it is taking action to enforce an order against Michael Harju and Economy Natural Gas, Inc. for their failure to plug four conventional natural gas wells leaking methane in Scott Township, Allegheny County. (June 3, 2023 PA Bulletin, page 3031) Read more here.

The plugging is being done pursuant to two orders issued to Michael Harju and Economy Natural Gas, Inc. on April 6, 2023, according to the notice.

Michael Harju, based at PO Box 23 in Spring Church, Armstrong County, is the owner of record for 159 conventional oil and gas wells, according to DEP’s online eFACTS database, and has multiple violations against him, including failure to submit annual production and waste disposal and well integrity reports and abandoning wells without plugging them..

Economy Natural Gas, Inc, also based at PO Box 23 in Spring Church, Armstrong County, is the owner of record for 110 conventional oil and gas wells, according to DEP’s online eFACTS database, and has multiple violations against it, including failure to submit annual production and waste disposal and well integrity reports and abandoning wells without plugging them. Read more here.

Well Abandonment NOVs

DEP issued a total of five notices of violation for abandoning without plugging conventional oil and gas wells last week.

Pennfield Energy LLC remains in violation for two wells-- H. McDowell 8 [DEP inspection report] H. McDowell 17 [DEP inspection report]-- in Mineral Township, Venango County after telling DEP well plugging was supposed to start May 15, 2023.

No well plugging equipment was found onsite at either well during an inspection last week.

DEP issued new NOVs to First American Energy Inc. for abandoning and not plugging three conventional gas wells-- Hedgehog Lot 25, 26 and 33 in Bradford Township, McKean County.

Failure To Cleanup Spills, Leaks

DEP inspected the Dorso LP Trax Farms 5 conventional well on May 31 as a follow up to a spill of production wastewater and found the value on the wastewater tank was still open and leaking and the area has not been remediated in Union Township, Washington County.

DEP did a follow up inspection on the D & M Painting Corp Cox 1 conventional well found the operator failed to remediate the results of a leak of production wastewater from a tank on site in Amwell Township, Washington County.

A follow up inspection of the Big Dog Energy LLC Pizzi 4 conventional well found the operator failed to remediate a leak of production wastewater and a tank on the site was still leaking in Amwell Township, Washington County.

Other Inspection Results

Diversified Prod Company was issued an NOV for failure to stabilize the LV Means 80A 1 well site to protect it from erosion and sedimentation in Perry Township, Jefferson County. [DEP inspection report]

DEP issued NOVs to Edinboro Gravel Co. for failure to submit production and waste disposal and mechanical integrity reports for the conventional Edinboro gas well in Washington Township, Erie County used for home gas.

EQT ARO LLC was running a huge bank of evaporators to dispose of production water in an automated process under an Air Quality Permit, but no new violations were found at the COP Tract 551 Pad B unconventional shale gas wels in McIntyre Township, Lycoming County, according to DEP’s inspection report.

Chesapeake Appalachia LLC had good inspections at two unconventional shale gas well pads in Bradford County, Terry Township -- Stoorza [DEP inspection report] and Grippo [DEP inspection report]-- that saw no evidence of previous violations for waste piles and erosion and sedimentation concerns. The violations are still listed as outstanding, according to DEP’s inspection report.

Click Here for spreadsheet on oil and gas inspections reported by DEP between May 27 and June 2.

Report Violations

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

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database webpage to search their compliance records by date and operator.

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.

(Photos: top- Economy Natural Gas, Inc. Nixon 501-1 conventional well site; Pennfield Energy, LLC H. McDowell 8 & 17 conventional well sites; bottom- EQT ARO, LLC production water evaporators at shale gas well site COP Tract 551 Pad B (2 photos), Diversified Prod Company LV Means 80A 1 conventional well site.)

[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.]

PA Oil & Gas Public Notice Dashboards:

-- DEP Moves To Enforce Order To Plug 4 Abandoned Conventional Gas Wells Leaking Methane In Allegheny County Owned By Michael Harju & Economy Natural Gas, Inc. [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - May 27 to June 2 -- Conventional Operators Fail To Start Plugging, Fail To Cleanup Spills; More NOVs For Abandoning Wells [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - June 3 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In June 3 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- PA Capital-Star: Lawmakers Are Clawing Back State’s Power To Prevent The Abandonment Of Conventional Oil/Gas Wells

-- Warren Times Guest Essay: Simple Truth - Conventional Oil/Gas Well Operators Frequently Abandoned Their Wells, Better Bonding Is A Solution To This Ever-Growing Problem - By Sierra Club

-- Observer-Reporter: Environmental Groups Seek Results Of Pitt Health Studies On Impact Of Natural Gas Development

-- Post-Gazette-Megan Tomasic: Elizabeth Twp. Residents Concerned About Planned Shale Gas Drilling Well Pad Near High School In Allegheny County

-- Warren Times: Environmental Group Announces PA General Energy To Plug Gas Well Proposed As Oil/Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Indiana County [Read more here]