In addition, the study found the extent of water contamination was wider than initially reported.
These same two townships recently declared disaster emergencies due to water well contamination from gas related drilling after three years of having residents without a permanent source of clean water. Read more here.
Timeline Of Frack-Out Events
The paper outlines a timeline of events from the June 2022 frack-out.
On June 19, 2022, a “frack-out" occurred at the Lumber shale gas well pad in Springhill Township, Greene County.
At the time, multiple gas well laterals were being fracked simultaneously in shale gas wells 1H, 5H, 11H, 13H, and 15H.
The shale gas well pad owner was hydraulically stimulating or fracking 13H at a depth of 7,820’ (2383.5 m) and a distance of ~ 6,500’ (1981 m) from the wellhead when the fracking process “communicated” with an abandoned conventional gas well, later identified as Fox Hill #1, 3,200’ (975 m) away from the lateral.
The event sent a fountain of fluids, mud, and gas spewing from the surface at the Fox Hill well.
The operator was notified of the incident by the landowner of the parcel where frack-out fluids reached the land surface.
The frack-out created a sinkhole where pressure forced fluids to the surface through the abandoned conventional well.
The community was then alerted of the incident through a Facebook post by the township supervisors advising people not to use their water.
The “Zone of Impact” as designated by the shale gas driller was reported in the Facebook post as “Main Street from the Firehall west to Herod’s Run”
Once the frack-out had been discovered, hydraulic stimulation of 13H was halted, but fracking continued in the adjacent lateral 11 H.
All drilling activity on the Lumber shale gas pad ceased on June 22, 2022.
DEP issued several violations including failure to report the frack-out and continuing the fracking after the incident.
The company appealed a later fracking stoppage request by DEP in September of 2023 and reached a settlement before the Environmental Hearing Board in late November that allowed drilling operations to resume. Read more here.
Fracking recommenced in mid-December but shut down again in January of 2024 after a “microseismical event” reported by the Lumber shale gas well pad owner. The well shut down again in February of 2024.
Water Sampling
The first well water samples reported in the research study were collected on June 27, 2022, with additional samples collected on 14 trips through February 2024.
Most early sampling was focused in the area surrounding the zone of impact. Later sampling included a much larger zone of interest.
Among the 75 samples, 45 samples were in the impacted cluster, while the remaining 30 were in the non-impacted cluster.
The study results show "distinct chemistries" in areas surrounding the Fox Hill 1 well that indicate the influence of water from the frack-out, the study said.
There were higher levels of barium, strontium, magnesium, lithium and 98% of the impacted samples had measurable levels of methane suggesting connections of fracking activities.
These impacted waters were primarily located in valley bottoms consistent with migration of methane and water through the fracture zones typically associated with valleys in the region, according to the study.
In the area surrounding the apparent primary surface conduit of the frack-out (i.e., the Fox Hill #1 well) chemical indicators are consistently and significantly different in the direction of oil and gas wastewater when compared to chemistries outside this area.
The study noted, in the evaluations of the frack-out, the tendency to not utilize all of the potential chemical tracers like bromine and lithium is a consistent shortcoming in the evaluation of unconventional petroleum extraction impacts.
The obscuring of tracer data due to rigidity in simple lab approaches is not acceptable and results in incomplete and potentially incorrect assessments of unconventional petroleum extraction impacts.
The study notes the area has a legacy of coal mining, but the area around New Freeport is not impacted by acid mine drainage that would contaminate water.
Click Here for a copy of the study.
Reports Consistent With What Township Found
These reports are consistent with how Guy Hostutler, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Freeport Township characterized the June 2022 frack-out incident as a “bright line.”
“We had no complaints of any issues with any shallow wells, whether they be oil and gas or water until after the event on June the 19th of 2022,” said Hostutler.
Hostutler said he is familiar with the kind of water contamination oil and gas operations can cause because he worked in the industry for 25+ years.
Oil and gas inspection records from DEP back that up. Read more here.
Study Authors
The authors of the study include--
-- Tetiana Cantlay, Duquesne University, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Environmental & Energy Engineering, University of Pittsburgh Dept. of Geology & Environmental Science
-- Daniel J. Bain, University of Pittsburgh Dept. of Geology & Environmental Science, Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory
-- Christopher Dombrowski, Duquesne University, Dept. of Environmental & Energy Engineering
-- Michael Rykaceski, Duquesne University, Dept. of Environmental & Energy Engineering
-- Mikayla Bayto, Duquesne University, Dept. of Environmental & Energy Engineering
-- Kiley Miller, Duquesne University, Dept. of Environmental & Energy Engineering
-- John F. Stolz, Duquesne University, Depts. of Biological Sciences, Environmental & Energy Engineering
NewsClip:
-- Pittsburgh Public Source - Quinn Glabicki: Independent Peer-Reviewed Study Ties Water Well Contamination In 2 Greene County Townships To Shale Gas Drilling; Townships Declared Disaster Emergencies Over Water Woes
Resource Links - New Freeport/Greene County:
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 13 to 19 - Pipeline Rupture At Gas Storage Area; Spill By DEP Plugging Contractor; Failure To Have Shale Gas Emergency, Spill Plans [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - September 20 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 80 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 20 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week - September 22 [PaEN]
Related Article This Week: - Oil & Gas:
-- Independent Research Study By Pitt, Duquesne Ties Water Well Contamination To Shale Gas Drilling In 2 Greene County Townships That Declared Water Disaster Emergencies [PaEN]
-- Federal Court Denies Request For Injunction In Lawsuit By New Freeport Residents Against EQT Gas Drilling Company Over Contaminated Water Supplies in Greene County [PaEN]
-- Permits For Controversial CNX Resources Drakulic Shale Gas Wells Expire Potentially Ending Appeals; CNX Can Apply For New Permits Starting The Process All Over Again [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Water Quality Approvals For The 23+ Mile National Fuel Gas Tioga Pathways Natural Gas Pipeline Project In McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties [PaEN]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: EQT's Mountain Valley Pipeline Urges WV Appeals Court To Revive Civil Lawsuit Against Pipeline Protesters [Pipeline Finished In June 2024] [PaEN]
-- Protective Buffers PA Hosts Sept. 24 Webinar: Safeguard Our Backyards - Join The Campaign For Health-Based Protective Buffers From Shale Gas Operations [PaEN]
-- Environmental Health Project, Partners Host Sept. 25 Webinar On Health Professionals Toolkit For Protecting Patients From Medical Conditions Related To Oil & Gas Development; [PA Medical Society Learning Center Course Available] [PaEN]
-- Environmental, Health Groups Host Sept. 23 Webinar On What The A.I. Boom Means For You And Society - Big Promise Or Big Problems? [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 40 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In August; 322 In 2025 [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro To Convene 13-State Summit Sept. 22 On Critical Changes Needed At PJM To Keep Energy Costs Low, Bring New Electricity To Grid, Serve Power Demands Of A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]
-- Team PA Releases PA Energy, Data Center, A.I. RoadMap, Includes ‘Aggressively Streamlining Permitting,' Establishing Regional Permitting Commissions [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Pittsburgh Public Source - Quinn Glabicki: Independent Peer-Reviewed Study Ties Water Well Contamination In 2 Greene County Townships To Shale Gas Drilling; Townships Declared Disaster Emergencies Over Water Woes
-- PA Capital-Star/Public Source: Study Ties Southwestern PA Communities’ Water Woes To 2022 Shale Gas Frack-Out, Narrow State Law
-- Courier Times: Federal Pipeline Safety Agency Says Energy Transfer/Sunoco Withheld Information On Jet Fuel Pipeline Leak In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County [PDF of Article]
-- TribLive Letter: House Bill 502 Energy Facility Siting Legislation A Betrayal Of Local Communities - By Megan McDonough, Food & Water Watch
-- Williamsport Sun: DEP Report Shares Outline Of Cleanup, Closure Of 3 Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Facilities [PDF of Article]
-- Williamsport Sun: Cleanup Of Spilled Material At One Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Nearly Complete
-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Erie Shale Gas Conference Showcases PA Energy Advantage - By Jim Welty, Marcellus Shale Coalition
-- Observer-Reporter: Investment Firm Purchases Hill Top Energy Power Plant In Greene County To Support A.I. Data Center Development
-- PA Capital-Star: PA Electric Customers Will Pay To Keep An Old Fossil Fuel Power Plant Running Under US DOE Orders
-- Bloomberg: EQT Shale Gas Driller Says High Electric Bills Will Drive Use Of More Natural Gas ‘We’ve Never Produced More Energy… But Americans’ Energy Bills Are Up Over 35%’
-- EPA Convenes A.I. Roundtable Highlighting Permitting Reform To Make US The A.I. Capital of The World
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: LNG Gas Exports Are On A Roll, EQT Is Rolling With It
[Posted: September 17, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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