Friday, November 22, 2024

DEP Prints Corrected Notice Inviting Comments On New Air Pollution Permit For Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Processing Plant In Washington County; Plant Suffered Major Explosion, Fire In 2022

The Department of Environmental Protection invites comments on a new State Only Minor Air Quality Operating Permit for the continued operation of the ETC Northeast Pipeline LLC [Energy Transfer] Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Processing Plant in Smith Township, Washington County. (
PA Bulletin, page 7595

The facility has previously been permitted under a GP-5 and GP-1 Air Quality General Permits.

This notice corrects the location of the facility originally published in the November 2, 2024 PA Bulletin.  (PA Bulletin, page 7239)

Natural gas cryogenic plants take natural gas and cool it to sub-zero temperatures-- minus 120 degrees Fahrenheit-- in order to condense and separate out liquids like butane, ethane and propane from the gas.

These natural gas liquids are then shipped via pipeline to places like the Shell Petrochemical Plant in Beaver County to make plastics and through the Mariner East Pipelines to Southeast Pennsylvania as feedstock for other petrochemical plants and export.

Public comments are due to DEP by December 23.

DEP has not scheduled a hearing on the proposed permit, but a hearing can be requested.

Read the entire PA Bulletin notice for information on how to submit comments and review the permit application.  (PA Bulletin, page 7595

Explosion/Fire

On December 25, 2022, the Revolution Cryogenic Plant suffered a major explosion and a fire that burned for hours and caused an uncontrolled release of ethane and other gases for nine and a half hours, according to the company.  Read more here.

Kasey Duran and her family live about 1,500 feet from the facility and were opening presents on Christmas morning 2022 when they heard a “jet noise” from the plant followed by a loud bang that rattled the house about 7:30 in the morning.

“It blew and shook the whole house,” said Kasey Duran. “A big piece (of equipment) over there caught fire.  The kids are terrified. The whole family is scared. The peace is gone.”

Duran said she called 911 and she and her family evacuated their home.  By the time a “shelter-in-place” order was implemented by local authorities, her family had already left for Burgettstown.

Duran said she also contacted DEP about the incident and was told they planned to send inspectors to tour the plant Tuesday (January 3).

DEP did, in fact, inspect the facility for the first time after the explosion nine days later on January 3.  [Read more hereRead more here.]

ETC Northeast Pipeline LLC [Energy Transfer] attempted to limit the public distribution of any information related to the explosion by neighbors to the facility since then information related to the explosion is confidential under Act 156 of 2006 the state Public Utility Confidential Security Information and Disclosure Protection Act and DEP should not be releasing copies of its inspection reports on the facility.

Terrible Compliance Record

Energy Transfer’s environmental compliance record in Pennsylvania is absolutely terrible.

Energy Transfer had its brand new Revolution Natural Gas Pipeline explode in Beaver County in 2018 and paid a penalty of $30.8 million to DEP.

It has been penalized over $24 million for violations related to the construction of the cross-state Mariner East Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline just by DEP.  The Public Utility Commission imposed its own penalties for violations under its laws.

Energy Transfer has also pleaded “no contest” to criminal charges brought by Attorney General Shapiro related to the construction of the Mariner East Pipelines.  Read more here.

Resources Links - Revolution Cryogenic Plant:

-- Observer-Reporter: Explosion, Fire At Energy Transfer’s Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Plant Burned For Nearly 11 Hours On Christmas Day In Smith Twp., Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Ongoing Explosion/Fire Investigation: Energy Transfer Reported An Uncontrolled Release Of Ethane For 9.5 Hours From Its Revolution Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- KDKA Investigation: Washington County Family Says Energy Transfer/MarkWest Natural Gas Processing Plants Turned A Peaceful Farm Into A Nightmare [PaEN] 

-- 3 Days That Shook Washington County: Natural Gas Plant Explosion; Pipeline Leak Of 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Gas; 10,000 Gallon Spill At Compressor Station  [PaEN] 

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 16 to 22 - $5.257 Million In Penalties; Conventional Well Owners Issued More Violations Than All Of 2023; More Abandoned Wells; Failure To Submit Shale Gas Reports  [PaEN]

-- EPA, Justice Dept., DEP Announce $5.275 Million In Penalties, Plus $1.4 Million In Abandoned Well Plugging Funding Against Shale Gas Drilling Companies-- XTO Energy, Inc., Hilcorp Energy Company For Federal, State Clean Air Act Violations  [PaEN]

-- DEP So Far In 2024:  6,907 Violations Issued To Owners Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wells - 153% More Than In 2021;  833 Violations For Abandoning Their Wells -- Exceeding All Of 2023  [PaEN]  

-- Oil & Gas Wastewater Release At Bear Lake Properties Injection Well In Warren County Went Unreported For 109 Days; More Contamination Discovered Along Related Wastewater Pipeline Route  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 23 [PaEN] 

-- DEP Prints Corrected Notice Inviting Comments On New Air Pollution Permit For Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Processing Plant In Washington County; Plant Suffered Major Explosion, Fire In 2022  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posted 60 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 23 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]  

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Oil & Gas Advisory Board Meets Dec. 5 On Methane Emissions Reduction; Federal Plugging Program; Injection Well Primacy; Financial Assurance; Drilling & Permitting Activity Impacts On DEP Budget   [PaEN] 

-- Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group Update: Industrial Shale Gas Development In Tioga State Forest Prioritizes Industry Profit Over Constitutional Mandate To Preserve, Protect State Forest Lands  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Meets Dec. 12 On New Fee Schedule; Water Withdrawals, Including 4 Shale Gas; New General Permit For Into-Basin Diversions  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 42 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In October; 274 General Permits So Far In 2024  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Reduces Permit Backlog By 75%, Completely Eliminates Backlog For Oil & Gas Permits; You Can’t Blame DEP Anymore For Project Delays  [PaEN] 

-- Guest Essay: Protecting Public Health Means Enforcing Environmental Regulations While Helping Businesses Thrive - By Jessica Shirley, Acting DEP Secretary  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Signs Executive Order Creating PA Permit Fast Track Program; Can't Blame DEP Anymore For Delaying Projects  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Speeds Up Endangered, Threatened Species Environmental Permit Review Times, ATV Permitting, Ginseng Certification  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Publishes Updated Non-Regulatory Agenda Showing Technical Guidance Documents In Development  [PaEN]  

-- PUC To Host Nov. 25 Technical Conference On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- National Review: Northeast Pennsylvania Needs Natural Gas - New Congress, New Federal Administration Should Overturn Delaware River Basin Commission Moratorium On Shale Gas Fracking - By Jason Adams  [PDF of Article

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Bear Lake Shale Gas Wastewater Injection Well Leak Went Undiscovered For 109 Days [PDF of article]  

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Exxon And Hilcorp Shale Gas Drillers Settle Environmental Violations With Millions In Fines And Promised Air Quality Benefits 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA Environmental Groups Urge Biden To Keep Block On LNG Gas Export Projects  [PDF of Article

-- Environmental Health Project Releases 2024 Year In Review [Shale Gas Drilling Health Impacts] 

-- Erie Times Letter: A Boon? Consider The Price Pennsylvania Pays For Fracking - By Katie Jones, FracTracker Alliance, Johnstown

-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition: David Callahan To Retire At End Of Year; Jim Welty To Take Over As President 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Current, Future Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Leaders Talk Industry [Patrick Henderson Promoted To VP]  [PDF of Article]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Announces New Leadership In New Year

-- PA Independent Oil & Gas Assn.: Shapiro Signs Executive Order Aimed At Streamlining Permit Process For Infrastructure Projects

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Climate Activists Criticize Exclusion From Philadelphia Gas Works Budget Process, Propose New Rules

-- Lancaster Farming: Game Commission’s New Plan To Spend Shale Gas Drilling Lease Royalties Applauded By Sen. Martin  

-- The Allegheny Front: Fairmont, WV Residents Press Agencies On Explosion, Fire At Oil & Gas Waste Process Site Last Year Owned By PA Company

-- Utility Dive: State Ratepayer Advocates Press FERC For PJM Capacity Market Changes, Citing ‘Crushing’ Prices [Not PA’s Consumer Advocate] 

-- Reuters: Gauging The Likely Republican Effect On US Energy, Power Sectors  [PDF of Article

-- WSJ: Republican Oil & Gas Donors Don’t Really Want To ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’  [PDF of Article]

-- The Economist: New Republican Administration’s Natural Gas War Is About To Begin  [PDF of Article

-- Institute For Energy Economics & Financial Analysis: New Fortress Energy, Leader Of LNG Gas Export Growth Bubble, Facing Bankruptcy [Proposed Building Facilities In PA] 

-- Reuters: Freeport Texas LNG Gas Export Facility Shuts Down 1 Of 3 Liquefaction Lines Due To High Air Pollution Emissions Lasting 11 Hours 

-- Bloomberg: Asian LNG Gas Prices Jump To Highest This Year Following Europe’s Rise

-- Reuters: US LNG Gas Exports Primed To Jump As Price In Europe Hits One-Year High 

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Drillers To Lift 2025 Output, Reversing Year Of Cuts- US EIA

-- Bloomberg: China’s Surging LNG Gas Imports From US Threatened By Next Trade War

-- Reuters: LNG Gas Tankers Divert To Europe From Asia After Russia Halts Supplies To Austria  [11.18.24]

-- Bloomberg: LNG Gas Traders Choose To Pay Penalties For Not Shipping Gas To Germany To Chase Higher Profits In Asia  [10.1.24]

[Posted: November 22, 2024]  PA Environment Digest 

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