The meeting will be held off the floor in the Senate Rules Room (no video) sometime after the Senate comes into session.
Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-3280 or sending email to: gyaw@pasen.gov. Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-5709 or sending email to: senatorcomitta@pasenate.com.
Background
Conventional oil wells produce roughly 800,000 to 920,000 barrels of oil annually in Pennsylvania, based on industry reports to DEP and the FracTracker Alliance.
Most of the oil is used for high-value lubricants and speciality products.
US production of crude oil is about 14 million barrels per day-- PA production is roughly 2,520 barrels per day (0.018%).
Conventional gas wells produce around 46,400,000 Mcf of gas annually according to industry reports to DEP, but that’s less than 0.6% of all natural gas production in the state and falling, according to the FracTracker Alliance.
The Independent Fiscal Office does not report on natural gas production from conventional gas wells in its quarterly natural gas reports because it is insignificant compared to shale gas production-- about 7,712,000,000 Mcf.
In fact, at the last DCED PA Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council meeting, representatives of the conventional industry said few if any natural gas wells are being drilled because they are so uneconomical in the face of all that shale gas.
Senate Resolution 374
Senate Resolution 374 directs the Joint State Government Commission do a study that includes an examination of --
-- The current and projected economic contribution of this Commonwealth's conventional oil and natural gas industry.
-- The oil and natural gas industry's role in addressing future electricity generation demand.
-- A review of the impact of statutory and regulatory policy on small conventional operators.
-- Preserving domestic energy production capacity in this Commonwealth.
-- The energy security and supply chain benefits associated with the proximity of conventional oil and natural gas production done in this Commonwealth to regional energy markets, transportation infrastructure, manufacturing facilities and in-State refining capacity.
-- A review of differences between conventional and unconventional operations.
-- Rural workforce and economic implications associated with oil and natural gas industry decline.
-- The energy security, reliability and economic benefits associated with this Commonwealth's conventional natural gas production, gathering systems, storage facilities, distribution networks and contribution to electricity generation and industrial demand.
-- The role of conventional infrastructure in future energy reliability planning.
What’s Not Include
The study does not include information on the other side of the balance sheet-
-- Billions In Taxpayer Plugging Liability: Plugging just the 27,000 oil and gas wells abandoned by their owners and on DEP’s federal well plugging list would cost taxpayers an estimated $1.8 billion;
-- Billions In Taxpayer Plugging Liability: Plugging the roughly 200,000 abandoned and orphan wells DEP estimates are out there would cost an estimated $6.6 billion.
-- No Bonds For 60,000 Wells: Conventional oil and gas wells drilled before April 1985 do not have to have any well plugging bonds-- about 60,000 of the 105,000 active conventional wells.
-- $15 On Hand To Plug Each Well: Because of absurdly low well plugging bonding rates-- $25,000 for an unlimited number of wells-- DEP only has on hand about $15 to plug each of the wells it knows about.
-- “Widespread Non-Compliance:” In 2022 special compliance report and again in 2025, DEP said the conventional industry has a “culture of non-compliance” and it continues to see “widespread non-compliance with laws and regulations,” in particular the continuing abandonment of oil and gas wells and the failure to submit annual production, waste production and mechanical integrity reports.
-- Failure To Report Simple Things: FracTracker Alliance/DEP report recently that the owners of 81,000 of the 105,000 conventional wells required to report failed to submit any information on the amount of waste they produce.
-- Road Dumping Contaminated Water: Conventional well owners continue to illegally dispose of contaminated water by dumping it on public roads that DEP said at a House Environmental Committee hearing contains hydrocarbons, salts, heavy metals and other potential pollutants that can potentially harm water quality and drinking water supplies.
-- Regulations That Are 39 Years Old: Conventional oil and gas regulations have not been updated since 1987-- for 39 years and the last time DEP tried in 2016, the industry killed the effort.
-- Conversion To Geothermal Energy Wells: There is no mention of looking at the economic value of converting conventional wells into sources of geothermal energy as has been proposed and other alternative uses.
Click Here for the text of Senate Resolution 374.
Resource Links - Conventional Contaminated Water Dumping:
-- House Hearing I: DEP Allows The Use Of Contaminated Water From New 'Mineral Brine' Conventional Wells On Roads, While Prohibiting Contaminated Water With The Same Harmful Pollutants On Roads From Other Conventional Oil & Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- House Hearing II: Road Dumping Contaminated Water From Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Creates An Aerosol Mist Carrying Pollution Through The Air And Into My Lungs - By Siri Lawson, Warren County Resident [PaEN]
-- House Hearing III: Protect PT: For Too Long The Oil & Gas Industry Has Used Our Southwest PA Communities As Dumping Grounds For Their Waste - Road Dumping Contaminated Water From Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Must Be Banned [PaEN]
-- House Hearing IV: We Should Not Be Trying To Find New Ways To Dump More Contaminated Water From Conventional Oil & Gas Wells On Our Roads, It’s Obviously Not A Solution; We Need Safe Disposal Options - Here’s One [PaEN]
-- Conventional Oil & Gas Industry: DEP Decision To Approve Unrestricted Use Of Contaminated Water From Oil & Gas ‘Mineral Brine’ Wells Clears The Way For Uncontrolled, Free Disposal Of Contaminated Water At Public Expense And Risk [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]
-- House Committee To Consider Bills To Prohibit Road Dumping Oil & Gas Wastewater, Set Minimum Standards For Power Plant Community Benefit Agreements, Encourage Monarch, Native Insect Habitats On June 8 [PaEN]
-- New Penn State Study: Brine Water Pumped From Played-Out Conventional Oil & Gas Wells And Used As Dust Suppressants, Winter Road Treatments Exceed Environmental, Health Standards, Just Like Conventional Oil & Gas Brine Water [PaEN]
-- Late Night Road Dumping: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Continues To Be Dumped On Dirt, Gravel, Paved Roads; DEP Expected To Provide Update At April 24 Meeting [4.9.25]
-- Late Night Dumping II: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumping Continues On Roads, This Time With Bigger Trucks; New Research On Harmful Wastewater Impacts [5.22.25]
-- Senate Hearing: Penn State Expert: ‘No More Research That Needs To Be Done’ To Justify A Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater [4.17.24]
-- House Hearing: Penn State Expert Says ‘Pennsylvania Should Ban Road Spreading Of Oil & Gas Wastewater;’ Contaminants Exceed Health, Environmental Standards [6.10.24]
-- House Hearing: Penn State Center For Dirt & Gravel Road Studies Says Road Spreading Oil & Gas Wastewater Is Not An Effective Dust Suppressant, Does Not Meet Environmental Testing Standards [6.10.24]
-- Moody & Associates Study Finds Discharge Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater To The Ground Surface ‘Not A Viable Management Practice'; Supports Ban On Road Dumping; Onsite Disposal [5.13.24]
-- Senate Hearing: First-Hand Account Of Health, Environmental Impacts From Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater - ‘Inhaling Oil & Gas Wastewater 24-Hours A Day’ [4.17.24]
-- House Hearing: A First-Hand Account Of How Repeated, Unlimited Road Dumping Of Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater Is Tearing Apart Dirt Roads And Creating Multiple Environmental Hazards [6.10.24]
-- House Hearing: Protect PT - Road Dumping Oil & Gas Wastewater ‘Is Disproportionately Responsible For Negative Impacts On Human Health,’ Especially From Radioactive Radium [6.10.24]
-- Senate Hearing: 3.5 Million Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumped On PA Public Roads Since DEP’s ‘Moratorium’ On Dumping Started 6 Years Ago [4.17.24]
-- House Hearing: On Road Dumping Oil & Gas Wastewater - ‘We Studied This For Nearly 30 Years And The Conclusions Are The Same - The Wastewater Contains Harmful Contaminants’ [6.10.24]
-- Senate Hearing: The Case For An Immediate, Total Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater [4.17.24]
-- House Hearing: Shapiro Administration Supports Bill Banning Road Dumping Oil & Gas Wastewater, Prohibiting Its Use As Coproduct Under Residual Waste Regulations [6.10.24]
-- Guest Essay: Take A Deep Breath! Now Think What You Just Inhaled. If You Live Along A Dirt Road You Could Be Inhaling Oil & Gas Wastewater - By Siri Lawson, Warren County [8.2.23]
-- Environmental Health Project - Part 1: Personal Narrative Of Environmental, Health Impacts From Oil & Gas Drilling On Siri Lawson, Warren County [7.16.21]
-- Environmental Health Project - Part II: Personal Narrative Of Environmental, Health Impacts From Oil & Gas Drilling On Siri Lawson, Warren County [8.5.21]
-- Op-Ed: Why Is the General Assembly About To Hurt Us By Authorizing Road Dumping Of Oil & Gas Wastewater? - By Siri Lawson [9.22.19]
-- Op-Ed: Will Our Dirt Roads Again Be Used As Dumping Sites For Oil & Gas Well Wastewater - By Siri Lawson [3.22.19]
-- Op-Ed: The Story Behind Stopping Conventional Oil & Gas Brine Spreading On Dirt Roads - By Siri Lawson [6.26.18]
[Posted: October 20, 2026] PA Environment Digest
