PA Environment Digest Blog: DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council Meets Aug. 20 On Conventional Contaminated Water Disposal, Well Plugging Program, Methane Emission Reduction Regs

The DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council for conventional oil and gas well owners is scheduled to meet August 20 at the Innovation Center in State College starting at 10:00 a.m.

Click Here for correct agenda for this meeting--

-- Contaminated Water from conventional oil & gas wells - status, next steps. Read more here.

-- Legacy [conventional] well plugging standards and procedures

-- Update on DEP’s plan to comply with federal 0000c oil and gas methane emissions reduction requirements. Read more here.

-- Updates on the federally-funded conventional oil and gas well plugging, methane reduction programs

-- Presentation on Underground Injection Well Primacy status

-- Update on natural gas storage area regulations

-- Economic report on the conventional industry

-- State of global energy supply and the impact on Pennsylvania

Public Comments

Individuals interested in presenting public comments to the Council should contact Adam Walters, Governor’s Office of Energy, 717-214-6548 or send email to adwalters@pa.gov.

Join the Meeting

The meeting will be held in Room 157 of the Technology Center, 200 Innovation Blvd. in State College starting at 10:00 a.m.

Click Here for instructions on joining the meeting on Microsoft Teams and by telephone.

Visit the DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council webpage for available handouts and more information. Questions should be directed to Adam Walters, Governor’s Office of Energy, 717-214-6548 or send email to adwalters@pa.gov.

Resource Links:

-- Briefing: DEP Issues A New Type Of Conventional Oil & Gas Well Permit Allowing Groundwater Contaminated By Oil & Gas Formations To Be Dumped On Roads, Used In Consumer Products Without Restrictions [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance Appeals DEP Conventional Oil & Gas Mineral Brine Well Permit Due To Concerns The Permit Creates A New Loophole For Disposing Of Contaminated Groundwater Without Testing Or Restrictions On Its Use [PaEN]

-- House Committee Moves Bills To Prohibit Road Dumping Contaminated Groundwater Released By Conventional Oil & Gas Well Drilling; Setting Minimum Standards For Power Plant Community Benefit Agreements; Encouraging Native Insect Habitats [PaEN]

-- The Conversation: Pennsylvania Roads Are Being Coated In Radioactive Oil & Gas Wastewater - New DEP Well Permit Allows Uncontrolled Use [PaEN]

-- PennLive: Attorney General Sunday Files More Criminal Charges Against Eureka Resources, This Time For Releasing Oily Oil & Gas Wastewater From Its Williamsport Plant Last August [PaEN]

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: Nearly 1 Year Since Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Spill, Company Sold Its Operations, Wastewater Still At All 3 Facilities [PaEN]

-- DEP To Adopt Regulations Limiting Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas, Shale Gas Infrastructure; Will Outline Approach At Aug. 6 Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee Meeting [PaEN]

-- DEP Marks Plugging 400th Conventional Oil & Gas Well Abandoned By Its Owner Under A Taxpayer Funded Program [PaEN]

-- State Budget Brief: DEP Oil & Gas Program Enforcement & Permitting Staff Has Been Frozen For Last 10 Years, Meanwhile Drilled Shale Gas Wells Increased By Nearly 50% [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Snapshot - Aug. 8 to 14

-- DEP - Day 632: Seneca Resources Installs Trench, Concrete Catch Basin To Collect Continuing Releases Of Contaminated Water From The Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP Nucomer Energy LLC Making Progress Reclaiming Shale Gas Water Impoundment In Forest County Nearly 14 Years After It Was No Longer In Use, 981 Days After A DEP Order Requiring Restoration [PaEN]

-- DEP Evaluating 37 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Venango County For Plugging As A Result Of Owner’s Death [PaEN]

-- DEP: Keystone Crude LLC Making Progress On Spills, Releases At 3 Conventional Gas Well Sites In Allegheny County Dating Back To 2024 [PaEN]

-- DEP: Trinity Mineral Partners Report Release Of Contaminated Water From Conventional Oil & Gas Wells From A 44,100 Gallon Battery Of 5 Storage Tanks In Warren County; Inspection Of 2nd Trinity Spill Site Shows No Cleanup Progress [PaEN]

-- Allegheny County - D & B Gas Production LLC - Conventional Well Compressor Leak: August 10, 2026 routine inspection of the Springdale Boro 1 conventional well in Springdale Township found gas was leaking from a compressor onsite. Violation issued, response requested by Aug. 28. DEP inspection report.

-- Elk County - Pin Oak Energy Partners LLC - Improperly Abandoned Gas Pipeline [297 Days] August 7, 2026 follow-up inspection of an abandoned conventional gas gathering line crossing Pine Run stream in Ridgway Township found the pipeline needs to be capped to prevent the stream from entering and discarded pipeline needs to be removed. Original violations Oct. 14, 2025. Violations continued. DEP inspection report.

-- Tioga County - Seneca Resources Co LLC - Shale Gas Casing/Cement Failure [621 Days] July 27, 2026 inspection of the Taft 75HU Utica shale gas well in Middlebury Township for casing/cementing failure found gas still present. Original violation Nov. 13, 2024, violation continued. DEP inspection report. This same pad has continuing wastewater releases

-- Washington County - EQT Production Co. - Conventional Well Venting Gas: August 3, 2026 inspection of the Ellsworth Collieries 3256 conventional gas well in Somerset Township found the well venting gas. Violations issued. Response requested by Aug. 28. DEP inspection report.

DEP inspected 62 conventional oil and gas wells as part of federal-funded well plugging program - August 8 - 14

Click Here for Violations Issued August 8 - 14

Click Here for Inspection Reports August 8 - 14

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - August 15 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For Installation Of 86 More Backup Diesel Generators, Fuel Storage Tanks For An Expansion Of The Existing Amazon Data Center In Salem Twp., Luzerne County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Use Of Emission Credits By Invitium Energy LLC [PPL-Blackstone Joint Venture] For Proposed Shermans Dale Natural Gas Power Plant In Carroll Twp., Perry County To Feed Data Centers [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For Construction Of A Shale Gas Water Withdrawal Structure In The Susquehanna River By Expand Operating LLC In Standing Stone Twp., Bradford County [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Chapter 102 Permit For Northeast Natural Gas Supply Enhancement Project Quarryville Loop, Compressor Station 200 In Chester, Lancaster Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 58 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 15 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- Public Utility Commission Sets Oct. 29 Prehearing On Transource Pennsylvania, LLC 230kV Project 9A West Transmission Line In Franklin County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Stormwater Permit For PPL Electric Stanton Summit Transmission Line Rebuild In Lackawanna, Luzerne Counties [PaEN]