One grounds for the appeal is that the “Appellant lacks the financial ability to comply with the Order.”
This is the second order DEP issued in this case and the second appeal of those orders filed by Petro Erie, Inc. [EHB Docket No. 2023063]
This is the second time the company said it lacked the financial ability to comply with DEP’s orders. Read more here.
The company also said DEP’s order fails to note “one or more brine dumping incidents occurred previously in a nearby location” and “the Department’s investigation did not reveal the responsible party,” and “the previous incident(s) and the Department’s investigation occurred before Petro Erie acquired the wells and/or [wastewater] tank battery.]
On July 31, 2023, DEP met onsite with Harry Rhoades, the owner of Petro Erie, Inc., to review the violations and “made him aware of the fact that there are more than several concerns with his [Lower Reno wells] lease.”
DEP’s inspection report said Rhoades “stated that the tank battery and the impact area was present when he purchased the [oil well] lease.”
During DEP’s first inspection of the wastewater tank leak from the conventional oil well field operated by Petro Erie, Inc. on July 21, DEP gave the operator until August 11 to submit a written plan for cleaning up the spill and bringing the wells and tank into compliance.
The company failed to comply with that order, but also filed an appeal of that first order on August 18. Read more here.
On August 21, a DEP inspection found two more Petro Erie, Inc. conventional oil well wastewater tanks with a pipe running from the tanks to a discharge area in a ditch with clear indications of wastewater dumping. Read more here.
On August 29, a DEP inspection found Petro Erie, Inc. had begun some cleanup at the site of the original wastewater tank release, but there was no activity at the site the day of the inspection. Read more here.
On September 25, 2023, DEP did a follow up inspection of the Lower Reno 1 conventional oil well operated by Petro Erie, Inc. in Sugarcreek Borough, Venango County and found a limited amount of excavation was done in a drainage ditch impacted by the production wastewater spill that contaminated the Village of Reno water supply and the dirt was stockpiled for later disposal.
DEP did not report on any other work done on the site. [DEP inspection report + photos]
DEP does not comment on pending litigation.
Summary Of Spill Incident
The conventional oil well wastewater release from Petro Erie’s production wastewater tanks was discovered on July 20 and was found to have contaminated the Village of Reno’s water supply in Sugarcreek Borough, Venango County leaving the community of over 200 residents and businesses without clean water for more than six weeks.
Although the “do not consume” order to residents in Reno was lifted on September 1, the water supply emergency continues with drinking water trucked into the community every week. Read more here.
Sadly, on September 9, Sugarcreek Borough Mayor Charlie McDaniel, who had been a leader in his community responding to the Village of Reno water emergency for the last six weeks, was found deceased in his home. Read more here.
The latest information from DEP’s Northwest Regional Office is available on its Venango Water Company/ Petro Erie Inc. Investigation webpage.
Visit the Aqua Pennsylvania Venango webpage for more information on activities related to the water supply system the company is operator on an emergency basis for the Venango Water Company.
Report Violations
To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.
Check These Resources
Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database webpage to search their compliance records by date and operator and the Inspection Reports Viewer.
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.
Related Articles - Village of Reno:
-- Petro Erie, Inc. Says It Lacks The Financial Ability To Comply With DEP’s Order To Clean Up Conventional Oil Well Wastewater That Contaminated The Village Of Reno’s Water Supply In Venango County; Will Taxpayers/Ratepayers Be Stuck With Cleanup Costs Again? [9.12.23]
-- The Derrick: DEP Issues Order To Petro Erie, Inc. To Restore Village Of Reno Water System, Cleanup Contamination Caused By Its Conventional Well Wastewater Release; 1 Month Without Clean Water [8.19.23]
-- DEP Investigates Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Leak As Possible Source Of Village Of Reno Water Supply Contamination In Venango County; Customers Under Do Not Consume Advisory For 2+ Weeks [8.5.23]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 -- Company Tries To Limit DEP Investigation; Unauthorized Water Withdrawals; Can’t Pay For Reno Cleanup; Venting Gas Wells; More Abandoned Conventional Wells [PaEN]
-- Repsol Gas USA Issued Violation For Denying DEP Right To Document Damaged Shale Gas Well Casing During Investigation Of Uncontrolled Gas Venting In Bradford County [PaEN]
-- Petro Erie Inc. Again Claims It Lacks The Financial Ability To Comply With DEP’s 2nd Order To Cleanup Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill That Contaminated The Village Of Reno’s Water Supply In Venango County [PaEN]
-- Environmental Hearing Board Will Hear Key Arguments On Appeal By A Washington County Family Alleging Shale Gas Drilling Contaminated Their Water Supply With PFAS And Other Chemicals [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - October 7 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 69 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In October 7 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
NewsClips This Week - Shale Gas:
-- FarmAndDairy.com: Orphan Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Hard To Plug, Despite Influx Of Federal Dollars In PA, OH
-- JD Supra: Repurposing Oil & Gas Wells For Ground-Sourced Heat Energy In PA Raises Multiple Legal Issues
-- AP: PA Chocolate Factory Fined For Failing To Evacuate Before Fatal Natural Gas Explosion
-- TribLive: Car Rally Held To Raise Money For Rustic Ridge Families Impacted By Home Explosion, Fires In Allegheny County
-- TribLive: At 16%, Westmoreland County Tops Local Population Loss Estimates
-- Post-Gazette: Study: Westmoreland County Will Lead Population Decline In Western PA, While Others Will Boom
-- PA Capital-Star: Population Projections Highlight Need For Long-Term Solutions To Sustain Rural PA Communities; Population Expected To Shrink By 5.8%
-- Forbes: How One Contrarian Company [Mostly Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owner Diversified Energy] Thrives In A Shale And Gas World [Check The Company’s Compliance Record In PA ]
-- WOSU: The State Of Natural Gas Development/Fracking In Ohio
-- Observer-Reporter: DEP Secretary To Be Featured Speaker At Washington & Jefferson Hydrogen Seminar
-- TribLive: Columbia Gas Tests Hydrogen Blends In Natural Gas Appliances
Related Articles This Week:
-- House Unanimously Passes Bill Against Lawsuits Aimed At Silencing Citizen Critics And Dampening Public Participation [PaEN]
-- Dickinson College Environmental & Indigenous Rights Honoree Tara Houska: Don’t Disconnect Yourself From The Reality Of Nature; Endless Expansion Of Pipelines Have No Place In Reality; Find Powerful Moments Of Joy [PaEN]
-- DEP Updates Location Of Scranton Public Hearing On Interim Final Environmental Justice Permit Review Policy [PaEN]
-- Member Of Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group Briefs DCNR Advisory Council On Siting Of Shale Gas Well Pad On State Forest Land To Accommodate Taking Gas From Private Land In Tioga County [PaEN]
-- Agencies Celebrate Eastern Hellbender License Plate Recognizing PA’s Clean Water Ambassador; Shale Gas Development On DCNR Land Threatens Habitat [PaEN]
-- DCNR Announces Appointment Of Seth Cassell As Pennsylvania's 18th State Forester [PaEN]
-- The Allegheny Front: Three Rivers Waterkeeper Citizen Monitoring Finds Plastics Maker Styrenics LLC Discharging Plastic Nurdles Into Ohio River, Threatens Lawsuit To Stop Them - By Reid Frazier [PaEN]
-- PUC: Focus Of Natural Gas Explosion In Port Richmond Section Of Philadelphia Now Inside The Buildings [PaEN]
-- Center For Rural Pennsylvania: Rural Population To Shrink 5.8%; Fewer Young People, More Older People; Current Policies Failed To Sustain Communities, Ensure Long-Term Rural Resiliency [PaEN]
-- PA Interfaith Power & Light 10th Annual Conference- No Faith In Fossil Fuels - Nov. 5: Virtual Keynote & Panel Discussion, 5 Regional Workshop Locations [PaEN]
-- Washington & Jefferson College Hosts Oct. 17 In-Person Harnessing Hydrogen: Exploring Local & Regional Opportunities In Appalachia Program [PaEN]
[Posted: October 6, 2023] PA Environment Digest
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