DEP Invites Comments On Section 401 Water Quality Certification For Equitrans To Replace Abandoned Natural Gas Storage Wells In Greene County Due To Coal Mining

The Department of Environmental Protection invites comments on a proposed Section 401 Water Quality Certification related to an Equitrans proposal to drill two new horizontal natural gas storage wells in the Swarts Complex and Hunters Cave Storage Fields in Center, Franklin, Morris and Washington Townships, Greene County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4499)

According to Equitrans, CONSOL has plans to mine coal above and around the Equitrans Hunters Cave and Swarts Natural Gas Storage Fields over the next several decades.  As a result, Equitrans will seek approval to transfer two existing horizontal natural gas storage wells to CONSOL who will then abandon them.  Read more here.

Equitrans will drill two new horizontal storage wells (one in each of its existing Swarts ‎Complex and Hunters Cave Storage Fields) as replacements for the abandoned existing wells. 

The two new wells will enable Equitrans to continue to deliver on its firm contractual obligations ‎to local distribution companies and other customers and will also modernize storage operations at these storage pools. 

DEP said in its PA Bulletin Notice the project to drill two new wells and related facilities will require approximately 77.86 acres of earth disturbance.

Comments are due to DEP by September 4.

Read the entire PA Bulletin Notice for more information. (PA Bulletin, page 4499)

Equitrans said questions about the project should be directed to the Equitrans Community Hotline at 888-574-6944 or by email at info@equitransmidstream.com. 

(Photo: D- Swarts Complex; E- Hunter’s Cave, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

NewsClip:

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: DEP Fines Equitrans $650,000 For unmapped Gas Wells In Path Of Coal Mine  [2019]

Related Article - Swarts Complex:

-- DEP Reaches $650,000 Settlement With Greene County Gas Storage Field Operator For Oil & Gas Act Violations [Swarts Gas Storage Complex]  [PaEN] 

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- DEP Investigates Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Leak As Possible Source Of Village Of Reno Water Supply Contamination In Venango County; Customers Under Do Not Consume Advisory For 2 Weeks+  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 29 to August 4; More Abandoned, Leaking Wells, Reno Water Supply Contamination; Rager Mtn. Natural Gas Storage Area Spills  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - August 5  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 75 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 5 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

NewsClips This Week:

-- TribLive: Olympus Energy Submits Application To DEP For 5th Shale Gas Well Pad In Upper Burrell Twp

-- PUC: Columbia Gas To Pay $990,000 Penalty In Revised Settlement Involving Home Explosion In Washington County

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PUC Approves $990,000 Penalty Settlement With Columbia Gas Over 2019 House Explosion In Washington County 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Negotiating Community Benefits, Like Those With Shell Petrochemical Plant Penalty Fund In Beaver County, Takes A Village; So Does Mitigating Harm

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Equitrans Gets FERC Approval For New Ohio Valley Connector Expansion Pipeline Project To Gulf Coast And Midwest

-- The Center Square: 14 State Attorneys General [Including PA] Want Action On ‘Plastic Pollution Crisis’

Related Articles This Week:

-- New Penn State Study: Brine Water Pumped From Played-Out Conventional Oil & Gas Wells And Used As Dust Suppressants, Winter Road Treatments Exceed Environmental, Health Standards, Just Like Conventional Oil & Gas Brine Water  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Take A Deep Breath! Now Think What You Just Inhaled. If You Live Along A Dirt Road You Could Be Inhaling Oil & Gas Wastewater - By Siri Lawson, Warren County   [PaEN]

-- DEP Publishes Final Chapter 105 Environmental Assessment Alternatives Analysis Technical Guidance  [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets Sept. 19 Meeting/Hearing On Air Permit For Expansion Of Marcus Hook Terminal’s Ethane Chilling Capacity In Delaware County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Section 401 Water Quality Certification For Equitrans To Replace Abandoned Natural Gas Storage Wells In Greene County Due To Coal Mining  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: Shale Gas Development And Cancer Fact Sheet

-- Eureka Resources Extracted 97% Pure Lithium Carbonate Used In Making Lithium-ion Batteries From Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN] 

-- PA Attorney General Henry Joins Coalition Calling For Stronger Federal Strategy To Fight Plastic Pollution Crisis  [PaEN]

[Posted: August 4, 2023]  PA Environment Digest