PA Environment Digest Blog

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

-- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution [It’s Not A Suggestion]

House Voting Schedule

June 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

September 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

June 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

Anything Can Happen: June State Budget Marathon Happening NOW!

TODAY 10:00: Agenda Posted. DEP Board of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP New Stanton Office. 10:00 a.m.

TODAY 11:30: Virtual. Team PA Webinar On Pennsylvania Nuclear Energy Roadmap. 11:30 a.m. Click Here for more on Nuclear Roadmap

June 15-- In-Person. DEP To Hold Hearing On 22 Transfer LLC Municipal Waste Transfer Station Permit In Cooper Twp., Montour County

June 15-- Virtual. Delaware River Basin Commission Webinar On PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Contamination Field Investigation Results. Noon.

June 16-- In-Person. DEP Hearing On Water Quality Permit For Rustic Ridge II Coal Mining Permit In Westmoreland County

June 16-- Virtual. ReImagine Appalachia, Ohio River Valley Institute, Partners Host Webinar On Applying For DEP’s RISE PA Industrial Decarbonization Funding. 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

June 17-- NEW. House Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill 2380 (Rivera-D- Lancaster) requiring electric utilities to set targets and procure grid-stabilizing battery energy storage; House Bill 2595 (Inglis-D-Allegheny) establishes deadline requirements for the interconnection safety reviews of small-scale energy projects [draft amendment]; House Bill 2539 (Steele-D-Allegheny) requires data centers seeking sales tax exemptions to obtain recognized energy efficiency certifications, such as LEED, Energy Star, Green Globes, or International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Room 523 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

June 23-- Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. 12:30 p.m. Contact: Ian Irvin iirvin@pa.gov or 717-579-0329.

June 25-- DEP Hearing On Air Permit For ETC Northeast Pipeline Cryo II Project At The Revolution Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plant In Smith Twp., Washington County. Burgettstown Area Middle/High School Campus, LGI Room, 100 Bavington Road in Burgettstown from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

June 25-- In-Person. ReImagine Appalachia, Ohio River Valley Institute, Partners Host Workshop On Applying For DEP’s RISE PA Industrial Decarbonization Funding. Pittsburgh. 9:00 a.m. to Noon

-- Conestoga River Named PA River Of The Year: A River Once Associated With Pollution, Degradation, Now Source Of Community Enjoyment, Recreation [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline: Conestoga River, PA River Of The Year, Celebrated At Wednesday Event In Lancaster

-- Conservation Efforts In Upper Conestoga River Watershed Highlighted In Berks County To Improve Water Quality In Chesapeake Bay [PaEN]

-- Reading Eagle: PA Invests More Than $430,000 To Improve Upper Conestoga River Watershed In Berks County

-- Indiana Gazette: New Tide Trail Crowns Cleanup Initiatives For ‘Boney Pile,’ Mine Drainage In Center Twp., Blacklick Creek Watershed

-- Bloomberg - Fola Akinnibi: ICE Wants To Use A Warehouse As An Immigrant Detention Center In Tremont, Schuylkill County - Can Anyone Say No To ICE?

-- New Study Finds If Pennsylvania Leaders Act Now They Could Save Households $841 Per Year In Energy Costs By 2030 [PaEN]

-- Chestnut Hill Local: Cheltenham Twp. Receives Grant To Plant Native Trees Along The Tookany Creek Parkway In Montgomery County

-- The Allegheny Front: New Henry David Thoreau Ken Burns Documentary Has Lessons For Modern Era; Called The Patron Saint Of Early Environmental Thought

-- TribLive: Southwestern PA Beach Closures Highlight Summer Water Quality, E.coli Risks

-- Friends Of The State Line Serpentine Barrens To Hold June 17 Information Meeting For Individuals Interested In Becoming Volunteers To Support This Unique Area In Chester County [PaEN]

-- 14th PA Firefly Festival Will Be Held June 26-27 Exhibits & Entertainment In Downtown Tionesta, Forest County [PaEN]

-- NextPittsburgh: PA Firefly Festival Guided Tours Sell Out Every Year In Forest County [Public Can Still Experience Exhibits, Entertainment June 26-27]

-- Post-Gazette: Cozy Up To ‘Murder Hornets’ And Death’s-Head Moths At This Penn State Bug Museum Boasting 13 Million Insects

-- Morning Call: Dead Geese Found In Hanover Twp., Northampton County Pond Being Tested For Bird Flu; Public Warned To Stay Away

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Scranton Times: Olyphant Boro Settles DeNaples Lawsuit, Confirms A.I. Data Center Regulations; Residents Packed The Meeting Urging Officials To Take More Time To Regulate Data Centers [Increased Police Presence Due To Facebook Post]

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Springdale A.I. Data Center Shows Off New Designs; Some Residents Still Hope Project Can Be Stopped In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Transformed Springdale A.I. Data Center Design Meets Leery Response Among Residents In Allegheny County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Springdale A.I. Data Center Proposal Gets New Name ‘Dynamo DC,’ Modified To Address Community Concerns

-- Observer-Reporter: South Strabane Twp. Adopts A.I. Data Center, Noise Ordinances In Washington County

-- Morning Call: June 11 South Whitehall Twp. Planning Commission Meeting Canceled After A.I. Data Center Applicants Pulled Plans From Agenda In Lehigh County

-- Morning Call: Could Nearby Bald Eagles Stop Lehigh Valley A.I. Data Center Projects In South Whitehall Twp.

-- Morning Call: Republican State Senator Urges Residents To Keep Up A.I. Data Center Fight: ‘There’s Power In Numbers’

-- The Daily Item: Talen Energy To Add 2 Natural Gas Generating Units To The Montour Power Plant In Montour County [To Help Meet PJM Data Center Demands]

-- TribLive: PUC Gets Scant Attendance At Hearings On 13.1% People Natural Gas Increase

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Luzerne County Residents Urge PUC To Reject Proposed 12.8% UGI Electric Rate Increase

-- Inquirer - Will Bunch Opinion: You Hate A.I. Data Centers, They Think You Could Be A Terrorist Or Chinese Dupe [Same Playbook As Shale Gas Drillers Only They Said Russians]

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Approves PJM Fast-Track Review For 10 Large ‘Shovel-Ready’ Power Projects A Year

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: In PJM, Power Developers Are Ready To Build 55GW Of Generation But Need A.I. Data Center Contracts, Transmission Lines - By Glen Thomas, President, PJM Power Providers Group

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

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

-- DEP: Day 587 And Counting: Seneca Resources Continues To Release Wastewater, Frack New Shale Gas Wells At Taft Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Documents confirmed MKP Enterprises, Inc. ownership of an abandoned, unplugged conventional well in the City of Erie, also failed to submit annual reports. Violations issued DEP inspection report

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Inspection of another Penta Oil Corp conventional oil & gas well in Erie County, Amity Twp. found it abandoned and not plugged, owner failed to submit annual reports. Violations issued. DEP inspection report

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- June 11: PA Average AAA Gasoline Prices Dropped Another 3 Cents From Yesterday, Now $4.26/Gallon - $1.15/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Potter County Average Price Now Highest at $4.65]

-- June 11: My neighborhood Sheetz dropped 20 cents to $4.29, the Sheetz over the hill, 2 miles away is still 21 cents cheaper at $4.08

-- June 11: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.12 Ohio- $4.15 PA- $4.26

-- Feb. 27: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $2.98 Ohio- $2.79 PA- $3.11

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: Behind-The-Meter A.I. Data Center Natural Gas Power Plants Will Raise The Cost Of Natural Gas, Electric For Homes, Businesses - By Jeffrey Rissman & Eric Gimon of Energy Innovation

-- WPost: Oil Executives Warn White House That Gasoline Prices Will Get Worse

-- AP: President Threatens To Take Control Of Iran’s Oil Industry

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Post-Gazette: Amid A Measles Resurgence, PA Leaders Say Plunging Vaccination Rates In Thousands Of Schools Will Be Made Public

-- TribLive Editorial: Dr. A.I. Chatbot Will See You Now

-- PennLive: PA Republican Group Backs Democrat Stelson Over ‘Extremist’ Perry In Congressional Race, Releases New Digital Ad

-- TribLive: Consumers Resigned To Higher Prices As Cost Of Living Jumps

-- Post-Gazette: Groceries Are About To Cost More, Here’s How Stores And Farmers Are Preparing

-- AP: President Has New, Surprising Take On Higher Cost Of Living: ‘I Love The Inflation’

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Diversity - Equity - Inclusion

[Posted: June 11, 2026] PA Environment Digest

On June 2, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection inspected the Seneca Resources Co LLC Taft 851 shale gas well pad in Middlebury Township, Tioga County and found evidence of continuing wastewater spills at the site.

The inspector field screened puddles of water on the pad, at a water outfall from the pad, liquid flowing from the center north outfall into the sediment basin and liquid near the northeast outfall and found elevated conductivity indicating contamination.

Seneca Resources representative was collecting water samples at the time of the inspection and the results of the field testing were discussed with him.

"DEP recommends that Seneca continues to monitor the conditions on the pad surface and the sediment basin and remove elevated conductance fluids and soils as discovered. Prevent elevated conductance fluids from leaving the facility and causing pollution to the waters of the Commonwealth."

This was the same recommendation included in DEP’s April 21, 2026 inspection report.

During the inspection Seneca was continuing fracking operations on eight recently drilled shale gas wells and separate construction projects were underway installing water and natural gas pipelines on the south side of the pad.

The wastewater violations originally issued for wastewater releases on October 23, 2024 were continued.

These conditions have now continued for 585 days without abatement.

DEP did not request a written follow-up from Seneca in the inspection report.

DEP found similar conditions-- spills, crews trying to clean up the pad while drilling new shale gas wells-- starting October 23, 2024, then on July 11, 2025, August 21, 2025, October 2, 2025, October 31, 2025, December 23, 2025, January 21, 2026 and April 21, 2026.

Criminal Charges

On October 31, 2025, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced criminal charges against Seneca Resources, LLC, following multiple violations of Pennsylvania’s environmental protection laws in several counties, as recommended by the 48th and 51st Statewide Investigating Grand Juries.

Three separate criminal complaints were filed regarding the natural gas company’s violations related to improper waste management practices and policies.

Prominent in the Attorney General’s announcement of the charges was the fact that DEP repeatedly warned Seneca that their practices were not in line with Pennsylvania law, but those warnings were ignored or disputed. Read more here.

In all, Seneca is charged with 64 counts of violations of the Solid Waste Management Act and 36 counts of violations of the Clean Streams Law in Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties. Read more here.

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: Row 1-- Sediment basin; Testing Liquid at northeast outfall; Row 2-- Testing puddle above center outfall; Overview of well pad.)

[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.]

Resource Links - Seneca Resources:

-- Attorney General Sunday: Criminal Charges Filed Against Seneca Resources For 64 Counts Of Illegal Dumping Of Shale Gas Waste In Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties [PaEN]

-- No One Warned A Cameron County Family Their Water Well Was Contaminated By A Seneca Resources Shale Gas Wastewater Pipeline Rupture [PaEN]

-- DEP: Day 587 And Counting: Seneca Resources Continues To Release Wastewater, Frack New Shale Gas Wells At Taft Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Day 545 And Counting: Seneca Resources Continues To Release Wastewater, Frack New Shale Gas Wells At Taft Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Seneca Resources Still Experiencing Spills, Releases While New Well Development Continues At Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County For 426 Days And Counting [PaEN]

-- DEP: Spills, Releases Continue At Seneca Resources Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County For 373 Days And Counting [PaEN]

-- DEP Day 239: Seneca Resources Wastewater Cleanup, Monitoring Efforts Continue At Vandergrift Shale Gas Well Pad In Charleston Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Day 155 - Contaminated Water Still Flowing From Seneca Resources Vandergrift Shale Gas Wells, Well Pad; Cleanup Continues In Charleston Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Seneca Resources Ignores NOVs On DCNR Shale Gas Well Pad Cleanup For 7 Months & Counting; Citizen Complaint Finds Homeowner Well Venting Gas; Multiple Tanker Truck Spills [PaEN]

-- Citizen Complaint, Company Report Results In DEP Inspection Finding 63,000 Gallon Wastewater Spill At Seneca Resources Shale Gas Well On State Game Lands In Elk County; More Leaks, Spills [PaEN]

-- Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group Asks DCNR To Protect State Forest Land From Seneca Shale Gas Drilling Well Pad, Comply With PA Supreme Court Decision, Protect Recreation, Wildlife [PaEN]