Inside Climate News: DEP Took 9 Days To Inspect Natural Gas Liquids Plant That Caught Fire On Christmas Day In Washington County

On February 11, Jon Hurdle of Inside Climate News reported the Department of Environmental Protection took nine days to inspect the Energy Transfer Revolution Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plant in Washington County after an explosion and fire on Christmas Day.

DEP confirmed it was not until January 3 that DEP staff inspected the facility.

Energy Transfer and DEP’s January 3 inspection report confirmed the plant suffered an uncontrolled release, explosion and fire for at least 9.5 hours on Christmas Day.  Ethane and other vapors were what caught fire.

Natural gas cryogenic plants take natural gas and cool it to sub-zero temperatures-- minus 120 degrees Fahrenheit-- in order to condense and separate out liquids like butane, ethane and propane from the gas.

Inside Climate News said DEP first said its staff was onsite December 25, but later corrected its statement to say the first site visit was January 3, confirming claims by environmental and community advocates and contradicting an earlier claim by the agency.

Inside Climate News reported the incident prompted the group the Environmental Integrity Project to urge DEP to hold a public meeting to inform the community about the explosion, stop operations at the plant until the cause has been identified and halt approvals for other cryogenic gas processing plants until the investigation is complete. 

The letter also reported another “significant flaring event” on Jan. 8 at the plant, referring to a process used for burning off excess gas, often to lower pressure for safety purposes.

“DEP’s slow response to the emergency, the long delay beginning the investigation, and the recent flaring event … have exacerbated community concerns about the safety and public health risks posed by the Revolution Plant,” EIP said in a Jan. 18 letter to the DEP’s Acting Secretary, Richard Negrin.

Click Here to read the entire Inside Climate News story.

(Photos: Top- Plant flare system continues to burn with dirty, black smoke - Jan. 8 photo; Original fire at the plant; Bottom- DEP inspection report photos of plant damage.)

Related Articles - ETC Cryo Plant:

-- DEP Ongoing Explosion/Fire Investigation: Energy Transfer Reported An Uncontrolled Release Of Ethane For 9.5 Hours From Its Revolution Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- Observer-Reporter: Explosion, Fire At Energy Transfer’s Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Plant Burned For Nearly 11 Hours On Christmas Day In Smith Twp., Washington County  [PaEN]

PA DEP Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Feb. 4 to Feb. 10 - 12 NOVs For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - Feb. 11  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posts 57 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Feb. 11 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Compliance Reports:

-- DEP Report Finds: Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Routinely Abandon Wells; Fail To Report How Millions Of Gallons Of Waste Is Disposed; And Non-Compliance Is An ‘Acceptable Norm’  [PaEN]

-- DEP 2021 Oil & Gas Program Annual Report Shows Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Received A Record 610 Notices Of Violation For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Has Record Year: Cost, Criminal Convictions Up; $3.1 Million In Penalties Collected; Record Number Of Violations Issued; Major Compliance Issues Uncovered; Evidence Of Health Impacts Mounts  [PaEN]

-- Feature: 60 Years Of Fracking, 20 Years Of Shale Gas: Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Industrial Infrastructure Is Hiding In Plain Sight [PaEN]

-- EDF: Conventional Gas Wells In Allegheny National Forest Leaked Over 6 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas In 2019; Conventional Operators Seek To Block Methane Limits  [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Natural Gas Industry Tells House They Want Faster Permit Reviews, But Didn’t Say They Don’t Use 40% Of The Well Permits They Get From DEP; Industry Practices Keep Energy Prices High   [PaEN]

-- DCED Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Advisory Council Feb. 16 Meeting Agenda Includes Discussion Of Poor Compliance Record Of Industry, Status Of Regulations Updates, Challenge To VOC/Methane Regs  [PaEN]

-- Ohio/PA Train Derailment, Pipeline Explosions, Uncontrolled Releases Put Spotlight On Public Health, Safety Threats Posed By Petrochemical, Natural Gas Industrial And Pipeline Infrastructure In PA [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News: DEP Took 9 Days To Inspect Natural Gas Liquids Plant That Caught Fire On Christmas Day In Washington County [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: PA Environmental Officials Took 9 Days To Inspect Natural Gas Liquids Plant That Caught Fire On Christmas Day In Washington County

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council To Hear Updates From Oil & Gas, Abandoned Mine Reclamation Programs Feb. 14  [PaEN]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Shale Gas Companies Play ‘Dirty Pool’ By Reactivating Expired Leases By Claiming They Are Part Of Back-dated Pooling Declarations  [PaEN]

-- Senate Environmental, Consumer Protection Committees To Hold Feb. 27 Hearing On Grid Reliability And Winter Storm Elliot  [PaEN]

-- PUC Approves 48.9% Increase In Natural Gas Charges By Leatherstocking Gas Company In Susquehanna & Bradford Counties [The Heart Of Shale Gas Drilling In PA]  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: As More Utility Customers Struggle To Pay Their Bills, More Are Also Cut Off For Nonpayment  [Cost Increases Due To Natural Gas Price Spikes]

-- PA Physicians For Social Responsibility Host Feb. 22 Webinar On Radioactive Contaminants From PA Oil And Gas Operations  [PaEN]

-- Better Path Coalition To Host Feb. 22 Webinar On How Green Is Blue Hydrogen? Made From Natural Gas  [PaEN]

[Posted: February 11, 2023]  PA Environment Digest