PA Environment Digest Blog: Marcellus Drilling News: Capital & Main Resolves Legal Challenge From CNX Resources Over Its Reporting With Editor’s Note Explaining What It Did Not Say Or Write About In An Article

On February 13, Marcellus Drilling News reported the news outlet Capital & Main resolved its legal challenge from CNX Resources over an article about its “Radical Transparency” shale gas monitoring program by adding an editor’s note saying what it did not say or write about in its September 2025 article.

The article-- Pennsylvania Gas Driller: Our Operations Pose No Health Risk; You Can’t Be Serious, Activists Say-- described how “CNX Resources Corporation, a major Pennsylvania natural gas producer, has racked up air quality violations by the hundreds and three years ago pleaded no contest to criminal charges of skirting state pollution laws for years by misreporting air emissions at one of its facilities.”

“Now, CNX is doing its best to resurrect itself as a white knight in the fossil fuel trade, and as proof offering up an industry-written study it says demonstrates its fracking operations pose “no public health risks.” The study was born from a partnership that CNX inked last year with its old nemesis — Shapiro.”

The article reported how “A group of 40 environmental organizations, as well as state Sen. Katie Muth, have submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy in which they express their opposition to the inclusion of CNX’s “Radical Transparency” on the list of projects vying for the federal funds.

““The ‘Radical Transparency’ program is a cynical attempt to undermine those harmed by fracking by discrediting the thousands of peer-reviewed papers, government reports and media investigations that have demonstrated grave harms fracking poses to health, safety, the environment and climate,” the letter says.”

On October 31, 2025, Capital & Main reported a lawsuit was filed by CNX Resources Corporation accusing the news organization of defamation for quoting sources critical of an industry-written study.

Capital & Main said it stands by its reporting and vows to fight the suit. Read more here.

Marcellus Drilling News first reported the settlement between CNX and Capital & Main resolved claims by CNX in the lawsuit by adding an editor’s note to the September article--

“Capital & Main did not state, and did not intend to imply, that CNX fabricated any reported data in its Radical Transparency program. Further, Capital & Main did not state, and did not intend to imply, that CNX engaged in manipulation of the stock market or any improper attempts to influence its ratings or stock values. Capital & Main has no facts or basis to believe that any fabrication of data or market manipulation occurred.”

Capital & Main’s article did not change.

Click Here for the Marcellus Drilling News Article. [PDF of Article]

[Editor’s Note: The following context is provided by the PA Environment Digest.]

[Trying To Silence Critics Isn’t New For CNX

[On May 22, 2025, the PA Environmental Hearing Board issued a ruling in an appeal of a DEP water supply contamination determination involving the CNX Gas Company that agreed with a Center for Coalfield Justice assertion there was “acute” danger in CNX misusing a deposition in the case to “punish” an environmental advocate for her advocacy against CNX. Read more here.

[The advocate referred to was Jodi Borello whose family lives about 1,500 feet away from the CNX Oak Springs pipeline pigging facility in South Franklin Township, Washington County that Borello said released natural gas and liquid chemicals three times a day, seven days a week for nearly 10 years. Read more here.

[The releases did not stop until the state Office of Attorney General filed criminal charges against CNX and CNX pleaded “no contest” to charges in December 2021, according to Borello. Read more here.

[CNX Facility Used As Example Of Health Impacts

[On February 13, 2025, the state Department of Health and Penn State Medical offered training to medical professionals on how to determine when exposures to shale gas facilities caused health impacts on their patients.

[The case study they used was the health reactions caused by the releases from the CNX Oak Springs pipeline pigging facility in South Franklin Township, Washington County. Read more here.

[Difficult Compliance Record

[In addition to being convicted of criminal charges, the environmental compliance record of CNX Resources and its related companies in Pennsylvania is-- difficult. Here are a few examples--

-- DEP Issues Violations For Failing To Report How Waste Was Disposed Of Safely From 133 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells, Including 50 Owned By CNX Gas Company [PaEN]

-- DEP Assesses $200,000 In Penalties For Drilling Wastewater Spills By CNX In Greene County

-- DEP Assesses CNX Gas Drilling $433,500 For Violations In Greene County [PaEN]

-- DEP: CNX Gas Company Agrees To Pay $175,000 Penalty For Uncontrolled Methane Leaks At The Shaw Well In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- CNX Gas Pays $450K In Penalties For Washington County Water Withdrawal Violations [PaEN]

-- DEP Settlement With CNX For E&S Violations In Greene, Washington Counties Yields $180,000 Streambank, Fish Habitat Project [PaEN]

-- DEP Reaches Settlement With CNX On Well Plugging Violations At 141 Conventional Coalbed Methane & Gas Wells, 5 Unconventional Gas Wells In 4 Southwest Counties [PaEN]

-- CNX Gas Company Reports It Did Not Stop Pumping Shale Gas Wastewater Through A Punctured Pipeline For 24+ Hours During An Incident In Morris Township, Greene County In May [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Violation To CNX Gas Company For Withdrawing Over 1.8 Million Gallons Of Water For Fracking For 22 Days Without Permission [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Violation To CNX Gas Company For Unauthorized Water Withdrawals For 17 Days From Beaver Run Reservoir In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

(Photos: Photos used in February state Department of Health/Penn State Medical program to help medical professionals identify shale gas facility health impacts -- CNX Oak Springs pipeline pigging station, Washington County.)

Reference Articles NewsClips - CNX

-- CNX CEO Tells DEP’s Citizens Council Their Monitoring Shows ‘No Material Impact’ To Air Or Water Quality From Natural Gas Development; Citizens Said CNX Lacks Scientific Rigor, Offers Misleading Greenwash [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: CNX Resources Claims Shale Gas Drilling Poses No Public Health Risks Are ‘Misleading, Irresponsible, Dangerous’ [PaEN]

-- CNX: 'Natural Gas Development Is Safe And Poses No Public Health Risks,' Based On CNX Air Quality Monitoring From 14 Sites, Most For Just 4 To 24 Weeks [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro, CNX Natural Gas Company Sign Statement Of Mutual Interests To Monitor Air Emissions At Drill Sites, Extend Safety Setbacks While Data Is Being Collected; DEP To Move Ahead With Some Reg Changes [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Is Shapiro's Voluntary Agreement With CNX The Right Move For Gas Well Safety? 'We Do Not Trust Foxes To Guard Henhouses' [PaEN]

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility PA: Gov. Shapiro's Announcement With CNX Does Not Go Far Enough In Protecting Public Health And The Environment From Natural Gas Development [PaEN]