DEP - Day 645: First Amer Energy Inc. Failed To Comply With Order To Restore 3 Conventional Oil & Gas Well Sites In Warren County

On October 21, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection did follow-up inspections at 3 First Amer Energy Inc. conventional oil and gas well sites in Mead Township, Warren County and found the owner failed to restore the well sites and access roads.

DEP issued an order on July 14, 2026 for the owner to restore the Papco 1435, Papco 1438 and Papco 1441 conventional well sites by September 30.

The original violations date back to January 14, 2025 and the permits to drill the wells expired on October 11, 2024.

The original violations were continued and a new violation issued for failure to comply with DEP’s order.

DEP requested a written response by November 5.

Click Here for the Papco 1435, Papco 1438 and Papco 1441 inspection reports + photos.

First Amer Energy Inc. holds 589 permits, including 20 abandoned conventional wells.

Report Violations

To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.

Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.

Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.

(Photos: Unrestored well pads, access roads.)

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

[Note: These may not be all the NOVs issued to oil and gas companies during this time period.  Additional inspection reports may be added to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.]

PA Weekly Oil & Gas Compliance Snapshot - October 17 to 23

-- DEP - Day 119: Contaminated Water Discharges Continue, Failure To Comply With Cleanup Order At Equitrans Water SVC [EQT] Richter Impoundment In Greene County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Routine Inspections Find 16 Anderson Energy SVC LLC Conventional Wells Abandoned, Not Plugged In Forest County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Follow-Up Inspections Of 4 Michael Harju Conventional Wells Found They Continue To Be Abandoned, Not Plugged Going Back To 2020 In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]  

-- DEP: Routine Inspections Find 3 Keystone Crude LLC Abandoned, Unplugged Conventional Gas Wells In Allegheny County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Equitrans LP [EQT] Conventional Well Plugging Results In Multiple Spills, Inadvertent Returns, Failure To Comply With Permits In Greene County  [PaEN]   

-- DEP: Bialy Gas Production Intent To Plug Abandoned Conventional Well Leads To Discovery Of Severely Corroded Contaminated Water Tanks With Holes, Leaking Fluids In Beaver County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: EQT Production Site Prep For Well Plugging Leads To Significant Well Pad, Access Road Erosion Violations In Fayette County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Contaminated Water Tank Failed Causing Release At Diversified Production LLC Conventional Oil & Gas Well Site In Warren County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Contaminated Water Release Discovered At Deer Run Oil & Gas LLC Conventional Oil & Gas Well Site In Crawford County 

-- PUC Accepting Nominations For PaOneCall Damage Prevention Committee

Related Article This Week:

-- DEP Celebrates Plugging 500th Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Well; DEP Continues To Issue Violations By The Hundreds To Conventional Well Owners For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN] 

-- Senate Committee Reports Out Resolution Authorizing Study Of The Economic Importance Of Conventional Oil & Gas Industry; Forgetting The Billions In Costs The Industry Dumps On Taxpayers  [PaEN] 

-- Environmental Health Project, Food & Water Watch, Partners Host Nov. 10 Webinar On Shale Gas Fracking, Data Centers And Your Health  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- TribLive: Proposed Shale Gas Well In Salem Twp. Concerns Local Residents In Westmoreland County  

-- TribLive: Salem Twp., Westmoreland County Officials To Shale Gas Well Opponents: No Local Authority Over Drilling Without Local Zoning 

-- Bloomberg Commentary: President’s Arm-Twisting For New York’s Constitution Natural Gas Pipeline May End In Regret

-- Inside Climate News: After A Decade Of Efforts To Regulate Methane From Oil & Gas Industry, The President’s Administration Promises New Rules, Has Rolled Back Or Blocked Previous Attempts

[Posted: October 23, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

DEP: Equitrans LP [EQT] Conventional Well Plugging Results In Multiple Spills, Inadvertent Returns, Failure To Comply With Permits In Greene County

On October 19, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection inspected the Equitrans LP [EQT] Prill Hopkins 2-473 conventional well plugging operation in response to the latest notification of a spill at the site in Morris Township, Greene County.

DEP found another spill of bentonite gel from drilling and several locations contaminated by inadvertent returns from the plugging operation.

In addition, DEP observed grey and light brown sediment accumulating in nearby Browns Creek from the site. 

Field measurements in the grey/brown sediment and a wetland found it was likely impacted by contaminated water from the conventional well.

Booms had been installed in a small channel leading to another stream in an attempt to stop contaminated water and/or inadvertent returns from reaching the stream.

The well owner was also not complying with multiple provisions in the erosion and sedimentation control general permit for the site.

DEP issued six new violations related to failure to comply with the permit and continued six other violations related to spills, inadvertent returns and discharges into waters of the Commonwealth.

DEP requested a written response by November 9.

Click Here for DEP inspection report #1 and DEP inspection report #2 + photos.

Report Violations

To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.

Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.

Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.

(Photos: Plugging rig, booms placed in an attempt to control discharges; One of several inadvertent return unlined pits; Grey/brown sediment in stream impacted by contaminated water.)

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

[Note: These may not be all the NOVs issued to oil and gas companies during this time period.  Additional inspection reports may be added to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.]

PA Weekly Oil & Gas Compliance Snapshot - October 17 to 23

-- DEP - Day 119: Contaminated Water Discharges Continue, Failure To Comply With Cleanup Order At Equitrans Water SVC [EQT] Richter Impoundment In Greene County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Routine Inspections Find 16 Anderson Energy SVC LLC Conventional Wells Abandoned, Not Plugged In Forest County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Follow-Up Inspections Of 4 Michael Harju Conventional Wells Found They Continue To Be Abandoned, Not Plugged Going Back To 2020 In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]  

-- DEP: Routine Inspections Find 3 Keystone Crude LLC Abandoned, Unplugged Conventional Gas Wells In Allegheny County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Equitrans LP [EQT] Conventional Well Plugging Results In Multiple Spills, Inadvertent Returns, Failure To Comply With Permits In Greene County  [PaEN]   

-- DEP: Bialy Gas Production Intent To Plug Abandoned Conventional Well Leads To Discovery Of Severely Corroded Contaminated Water Tanks With Holes, Leaking Fluids In Beaver County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: EQT Production Site Prep For Well Plugging Leads To Significant Well Pad, Access Road Erosion Violations In Fayette County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Contaminated Water Tank Failed Causing Release At Diversified Production LLC Conventional Oil & Gas Well Site In Warren County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Contaminated Water Release Discovered At Deer Run Oil & Gas LLC Conventional Oil & Gas Well Site In Crawford County

-- PUC Accepting Nominations For PaOneCall Damage Prevention Committee

Related Article This Week:

-- DEP Celebrates Plugging 500th Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Well; DEP Continues To Issue Violations By The Hundreds To Conventional Well Owners For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN] 

-- Senate Committee Reports Out Resolution Authorizing Study Of The Economic Importance Of Conventional Oil & Gas Industry; Forgetting The Billions In Costs The Industry Dumps On Taxpayers  [PaEN] 

-- Environmental Health Project, Food & Water Watch, Partners Host Nov. 10 Webinar On Shale Gas Fracking, Data Centers And Your Health  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- TribLive: Proposed Shale Gas Well In Salem Twp. Concerns Local Residents In Westmoreland County  

-- TribLive: Salem Twp., Westmoreland County Officials To Shale Gas Well Opponents: No Local Authority Over Drilling Without Local Zoning

-- Bloomberg Commentary: President’s Arm-Twisting For New York’s Constitution Natural Gas Pipeline May End In Regret

-- Inside Climate News: After A Decade Of Efforts To Regulate Methane From Oil & Gas Industry, The President’s Administration Promises New Rules, Has Rolled Back Or Blocked Previous Attempts

[Posted: October 23, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

Penn State Extension Hosts Nov. 21 In-Person Backyard Stream Repair Day In York County

The Penn State Extension will host a November 21 in-person Backyard Stream Repair Day in Glen Rock, York County from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.

Join Penn State Extension for a hands-on workshop where you will learn practical techniques for repairing and stabilizing a backyard stream. 

Participants will see demonstrations and then gain hands-on experience planting a riparian buffer and installing live stakes in a waterway in need of streambank stabilization. 

These affordable, accessible practices can help landowners improve stream health and address erosion on their property. 

Participants are encouraged to bring work gloves, a sturdy shovel, hand pruners, a mallet or drilling hammer, waterproof boots for working in the stream, long pants, and a water bottle.

Participants are encouraged to bring work gloves, a sturdy shovel, hand pruners, a mallet or drilling hammer, waterproof boots for working in the stream, long pants, and a water bottle.

Who is this for?

-- Landowners with a stream on their property 

-- Individuals interested in streambank repair and stabilization

What will you learn?

-- Proper tree-planting methods for riparian buffers 

-- How live staking can help stabilize eroding streambanks 

-- How to assess waterway conditions using the First Investigation of Stream Health (FISH) protocol (optional) 

-- Practical steps for managing and repairing residential streams

Click Here to register and for more information.

Visit the Penn State Extension website to learn more about many other educational opportunities.

Related Articles This Week:

-- Butler Eagle: Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition Has Taken On Abandoned Mine Pollution In Creek For More Than 30 Years 

-- PennVEST Invests $190.3 Million Across 19 Counties To Support Local Drinking Water, Clean Water And Water Infrastructure Projects  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Offers Master Watershed Steward Training Thru County Programs  [PaEN] 

-- Call For Presentations: Keystone Coldwater Conference Feb. 26-27 - Defending & Restoring Coldwater Habitat In A Changing Pennsylvania Landscape  [PaEN] 

-- Manada Conservancy Partners With Doyle Family To Protect 127 Acres Within The Kittatinny Ridge In Dauphin County; Nov. 12 Program On Regenerative Agriculture  [PaEN] 

-- Registration Open! Delaware Estuary Science & Environmental Summit Feb. 23-24 At University Of Delaware; Presentation Proposals Due Oct. 30  [PaEN]  

-- Penn State Extension Hosts 2 In-Person Volunteer Riparian Buffer Plantings In Lancaster County Nov. 3, 14  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Watershed Winds: Perfect Time To Plant Trees; Storm Drains Raise Water Pollution Awareness; Online Learning Opportunities 

-- Register Now! PA Forestry Association Annual Forest Symposium Nov. 7 In State College  [PaEN] 

-- Philly Tree Coalition Announces Second Round Of Funding For Microburst Storm Responsive Grant; Applicant Webinar Oct. 23  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Recent Rain Tested ALCOSAN’s Clean Water Upgrades To Prevent Sewage Overflows In Pittsburgh Region 

-- Altoona Mirror: PA House Committee Holds Hearing In Cambria County On Proposed Changes To DEP Biosolids Permits To Prevent PFAS ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination

-- Altoona Mirror: Wild Ones Group Restoring Natural Species To Floodplain, Creating Community Food Forest For Insects/Wildlife With Help Of Giant Company/Keep PA Beautiful Grant

-- Lehigh Valley’s Wildlands Conservancy: Celebrating The New Brenner-Penfield Emmaus Preserve 

-- Warren Times: Allegheny National Forest Plans 38 Acre Prescribed Burn Near Buckaloons Recreation Area

[Posted: October 23, 2026]  PA Environment Digest