PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - August 3

The following notices were published in the August 3 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities.  Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments.

Important Gas Infrastructure Announcements

On July 15, Eureka Resources submitted a request to the Department of Environmental Protection to terminate the water quality permit for a proposed oil and gas wastewater treatment facility in Dimock, Susquehanna County due to changed “commercial factors.”   DEP approved the request to terminate the permit in a July 24 letter saying it will become effective in 30 days.  Read more here.

On August 1, the Public Utility Commission moved to accelerate the process for identifying, removing, and replacing older plastic piping and components in Pennsylvania’s natural gas distribution systems.  The Commission voted 5-0 to approve a motion by Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank which is patterned after the state’s successful ongoing efforts to eliminate other at-risk materials from natural gas utility systems.  Click Here for motion and more background on the plastic pipe issue.  Read more here.

Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups

-- Tioga Marine Terminal Pier 179N: DEP received a Final Report on remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with ethanol, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, total xylene, naphthalene, isopropylbenzene, 1,2,4-TMB, and 1,3,5-TMB to meet the Statewide Health and Site-Specific Standards at the facility located  at 3300 North Delaware Ave., Philadelphia.  (PA Bulletin, page 4537)

-- Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC - Amcor Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP approved a Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated with production wastewater to meet the Statewide Health Standards at the pad located in Meshoppen Twp., Wyoming County. (PA Bulletin, page 4537)

2024 Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups

So far in 2024, DEP received or acted on 181 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups.

Air Quality Permits

-- Iron Pennsylvania Land, LLC - Cumberland Mine Methane Flare Abatement System: DEP invites comments on an Air Quality Plan Approval to construct and operate a temporary coal mine methane flare system located in Jackson Twp., Greene County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4512)

-- Reed Oil Company - Grove City Petroleum Distribution Facility: DEP invites comments on the renewal of a State Only Air Quality Permit covering multiple sources of air pollution at the facility located in Grove City Borough, Mercer County. (PA Bulletin, page 4513)

-- Texas Eastern Transmission, LP - Compressor Station: DEP invites comments on the renewal of a State Only Air Quality Permit covering multiple sources of air pollution at the facility  located in Tyrone Twp., Adams County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4513)

-- SWN Production Company, LLC - RU-24 Woosman Shale Gas Pad: DEP issued a GP-5A General Air Quality Permit covering multiple sources of air pollution at the pad including compressors, piggin stations and other equipment at the pad located in New Milford Twp., Susquehanna County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4540)

-- MarkWest Liberty - Bluestone Voll Compressor Station: DEP amended the Air Quality Permit to include a change in responsible official at the facility located in Connoquenessing Twp., Butler County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4541)

-- Handsome Lake Energy, LLC - Gas-Fired Power Plant: DEP amended the Air Quality Permit to include a change in responsible official at the facility located in Rockland Twp., Venango County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4542)

Water Quality Permits

-- PECO Energy Co. - W. Conshohocken Gas Plant: DEP invites comments on the renewal of the NPDES water quality permit for this facility impacting the Schuylkill River and Gulph Creek located in West Conshohocken Boro, Montgomery County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4497)

Individual Stormwater Permits

-- Buckeye Terminal, LLC - Pittsburgh Terminal Secondary Containment Project: DEP invites comments on an Individual NPDES Stormwater Permit for the facility located in Moon Twp., Allegheny County. (PA Bulletin, page 4507)

Chapter 105 Encroachment Permits

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - 16-in Water Pipeline: DEP invites comments on a Chapter 105 application for a water pipeline impacting Sugar Run, various wetlands and a floodway located in Terry Twp., Branford County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4521)

Erosion & Sedimentation Permits

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Unknown Project: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Durrell Creek located in Asylum Twp., Bradford County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4546)

Storage Tank Permits

-- Amazon Data Services, Inc. - DEP issued transfer permits for 64 aboveground storage tanks with a total capacity of 768,000 gallons for the facility located in Salem Twp., Luzerne County.  (PA Bulletin, page 4546)

NOTE:  DEP Permit Modernization: Since 11/2023 DEP Received 17,867 Permit Applications - 10 Missed Review Deadlines And Eligible For PAyback Fee Return, No One Requested Fee Back

Oil & Gas Well Drilling Permits [7.26.24]*

-- Last Week - Permits: DEP issued 10 conventional and 2 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Permits: DEP issued 128 conventional and 292 unconventional

-- Last Week - Wells Drilled: 5 conventional and 8 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Wells Drilled: 88 conventional and 180 unconventional

*Weekly Workload Report - 7.26.24

*DEP’s Weekly Oil & Gas Program Workload Report - Most Recent

DEP Issued These New Oil & Gas Permits *

*Click Here to find oil and gas well permits recently issued near you

Sign Up! DEP eNotice: The Only Way You’ll Know When Applications Come In To DEP

Did you know DEP can send you email notices when permit applications are submitted to DEP in your community?  

This is the only way you can get notified of when oil and gas-related permits are submitted to DEP.   

You’ll also get notice of new technical guidance documents and regulations.

Click Here to sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE today!

Act 14 Notices To Municipalities

Many communities and citizens are not aware that a state law passed in 1984 gives them the first chance to comment on Department of Environmental Protection permit applications even before they are submitted to the agency.   Read more here.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 27 to August 2 - 120 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; 3rd Pipeline Construction Spill; 1,260 Gallon Conventional Oil Spill  [PaEN]  

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

-- DEP Posted 66 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 3 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Issues Violations To D & B Gas Prod LLC For Abandoning, Not Plugging 110 Conventional Gas, Coalbed Methane Wells In Indiana County; Total Abandonment NOVs 687 In 2024  [PaEN]  

-- PA US Sen. Casey Cosponsors Bill To Find, Clean Up Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells, Improve Detection, Plugging Tech  [PaEN]

-- Eureka Resources Request To Terminate Its Water Quality Permit For A Proposed Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Facility In Dimock, Susquehanna County Approved By DEP  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Seeks To Accelerate Removal, Replacement Of Older Plastic Pipe In Natural Gas Distribution Systems  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Electricity Auction Price 9 Times Higher Than Previous Auction-- $269.92/MW-Day For 2025/26 Delivery Compared To $28.92/MW-Day In 2024-25; Extreme Weather Risk Big Factor    [PaEN]

-- Natural Resources Defense Council: The Cost Of Slow-Walking Clean Energy Can Be Seen In Latest PJM Electricity Prices  [PaEN]

-- PennFuture: Dramatic PJM Electricity Price Increases Due To Forced Outages Of Gas Power Plants; Huge Backlog Of New Generation Projects; Demand Growth Driven By Data Centers, Cryptocurrency Mining  [PaEN] 

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy: The High Price Of Failing To Transition To Clean Energy In PJM Footprint; Next PJM Auction Is In December - By John Quigley, Senior Fellow, Kleinman Center  [PaEN] 

-- House Committee Held 2nd Hearing On Governor’s Energy Plan To Diversify Energy Generation, Improve Grid Reliability, Lower Consumer Energy Costs  [PaEN]

-- US Dept. Of Energy Awards Western PA/WV/OH ARCH2 Hydrogen Hub $30 Million  [PaEN] 

-- USDA Announces $163 Million In Rural Energy For America Funding, Including 4 Projects in Pennsylvania  [PaEN] 

-- PA Solar Center, Philadelphia Solar Energy Assn., Partners Host Aug. 14 Webinar To Get Eligible Schools Ready To Apply For The New PA Solar For Schools Grants  [PaEN]

-- US Dept. Of Energy Accepting Applications For Grants To Expand Innovative Weatherization Assistance Programs

-- DEP Awards $15+ Million In PA Electric Grid Resilience Grants To Prevent, Shorten Power Outages In Rural Electric Systems; Fall Grant Round Planned  [PaEN]

-- DEP Awards $2.3 Million To Schools, Businesses, Local Governments Switching To Zero- Or Low-Emission Vehicles; Now Accepting Applications  [PaEN] 

-- Appalachian Voices Urges Congress To Reject Proposed Changes To Federal Energy Permitting That Reduces Opportunities For Communities To Challenge Projects; US Senate Committee Considers Bill July 31  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Utility Dive: PJM Capacity Auction To Lead To Double-Digit Rate Hikes For Exelon Utilities: CFO  [PECO]

-- Utility Dive: PJM Capacity Auction To Lead To Double-Digit Rate Hikes For Exelon Utilities: CFO  [PECO]

-- Utility Dive: FirstEnergy Seeks Alternatives To PJM Capacity Market’s Dramatically Higher Prices To Bolster Power Supply

-- Bloomberg: Almost 20% Of Americans Face Prospect Of Higher Energy Bills

-- Meadville Tribune: National Fuel Natural Gas Rates Rising More Than 11% Aug. 1

-- AP: PUC Files Complaints Against Peoples Gas In Fatal 2021 Natural Gas Explosion In Tyrone, Blair County 

-- WESA/WPSU: PUC Ask People’s Gas To Pay $800,000 After Deadly 2021 Natural Gas Explosion In Tyrone

-- Altoona Mirror: Peoples’ Gas Secrecy Questioned In 2021 Natural Gas Explosion In Tyrone

-- The Energy Age Blog: Acrylonitrile: From Fracking To Train Wrecks  

-- The Intelligencer - Wheeling: $25,000 Bond Keeps PA Oil & Gas Waste Company CEO Out Of Jail For Now Related To Martins Ferry, OH Waste Facility 

-- The Energy Age Blog: Delaware County Employees Retirement System, Other Plaintiffs Secure $40 Million Recovery In Cabot Oil & Gas [Now Coterra Energy] Securities Fraud Lawsuit 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: EQT Natural Gas’ Toby Rice On Presidential Politics: ‘Time To Hold Leaders Accountable’ [EQT, PA Shale Gas Says We Have A ‘Duty’ To Sell More Gas To China Our Economic, Military Competitor]

-- Reuters: Coterra Energy Misses Profit Estimates On Weak Natural Gas Prices

-- Environmental Defense Fund: New Data Show US Oil & Gas Methane Emissions Over 4 Times Higher Than EPA Estimates; 8 Times Greater Than Industry Target

-- Reuters: Federal Appeals Court Throws Out FERC Approval Of PA/NJ Transcontinental Regional Energy Access Expansion Pipeline Project Saying The Agency Did Not Properly Address Objections

-- Marcellus Drilling News/Times West Virginian: Who’s To Blame For Dirty Natural Gas That Ruined West Virginia University’s Boilers?

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shell CEO Praises Progress Of Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County

-- US Senate Committee Clears Manchin-Barrasso Bill To Change Federal Energy Facility Permitting Process

-- E&E News: What’s Next For US Senate Energy Facility Permitting Bill?  

-- Washington Examiner: Major Bipartisan Federal Permitting Overhaul Bill Clears Senate Committee

-- The Guardian: US Energy Permitting ‘Reform’ Bill A ‘Wishlist For The Fossil Industry,’ Say Environmental Groups

-- Earthworks Blog: Proposed Federal Energy Permitting Reform Act - Bill Prioritizing Polluters Over Communities

[Posted: August 2, 2024]  PA Environment Digest