PA Environment Digest Blog: PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment

The following DEP notices were published in the April 6 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities. Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments.

Only 1 Shale Gas Permit Under Review

-- DEP reported in its Oil and Gas Workload Report for the week ending March 29 that it has only 1 shale gas well permit under review, which has huge implications for the revenue coming in to run its entire Oil and Gas Regulatory Program. Read more here.

So far this year DEP received 95 shale gas well permits.

If this pace keeps up, and given the price of gas currently it very well might as gas companies pull in production in hopes of raising gas prices, it means DEP will receive only 380 permits, less than 20% of the revenue it needs to run the program.

In August of 2020 when the last permit fee increase was put in place, DEP estimated it would need the revenue from 2,000 unconventional shale gas permits a year to adequately support the regulatory program for both conventional and unconventional oil and gas drilling. Read more here.

DEP has said well permit fees have not generated the revenue needed to support the Oil and Gas Program for at least the last 9 years-- since 2014. Read more here.

Gov. Shapiro’s proposed budget includes $11 million to support the program to make up for these losses, but more may be needed if permit applications are down this much.

Read more here on this issue.

-- On the conventional oil and gas well side, DEP has 20 permits under review, received 53 this year, processed 45 and issued 44.

Good Samaritan Act Well Plugging

-- Diversified Production LLC - Douglas #1 Abandoned Conventional Oil/Gas Well: DEP received a request from the company to plug this abandoned conventional well located in Ohio Township, Allegheny County under the Good Samaritan Act Program. (PA Bulletin, page 1903)

Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups

-- Coterra Energy, Inc. - Aldrich Shale Gas Well Pad 1: DEP received a Final Report on the remediation of soil contaminated with production wastewater to meet the Statewide Health Standards at the pad located in Gibson Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 1890)

-- Sunoco Marcus Hook Refinery (AOI-2): DEP approved the Final Plan for the remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with [the contaminants were missing from the notice] to meet the Site-Specific Standards at the facility located in Marcus Hook Borough, Delaware County. (PA Bulletin, page 1892)

-- Sunoco Inc. - Philadelphia Refinery (AOI-10): DEP approved a Risk Assessment/Cleanup Plan on remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with lead and organics to meet the Site-Specific Standards at the facility located in the City of Philadelphia. (PA Bulletin, page 1892)

2024 Act 2 Oil & Gas Facility Pollution Cleanups--

So far in 2024, DEP received or acted on 93 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups.

Waste Permits

-- Range Resources-Appalachia, LLC - Littell Bend Storage Tank Pad: DEP invites comments on an application for coverage under the WMGR123 General Waste Permit for a 714,000 gallon oil and gas wastewater storage tank at a facility located in Hanover Twp., Beaver County. (PA Bulletin, page 1861)

-- Range Resources-Appalachia, LLC - Carbs Storage Tank Pad: DEP invites comments on an application to modify an existing WMGR123 General Waste Permit to include two 2,730,000 gallon and six 21,000 gallon oil and gas wastewater tanks-- the nine 14,700 gallon tanks now there will be removed-- at the facility located in Smith Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 1861)

Air Quality Permits

-- Montour LLC - Montour Power Plant: DEP invites comments on a Title V Air Quality Permit covering multiple air pollution sources at the coal/gas-fired power plant located in Derry Twp., Montour County. (PA Bulletin, page 1864)

-- Fayette Power Company LLC - Gas-fired Power Plant: DEP invites comments on a modification of the Title V Air Quality Permit to incorporate RACT III requirements at the facility located in German Twp., Fayette County. (PA Bulletin, page 1865)

-- Coterra Energy, Inc. - Dobrosielski, S. Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP issued an Air Quality Plan Approval for a Caterpillar engine at the pad located in Auburn Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 1893)

-- Coterra Energy, Inc. - Lauer, D. Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP issued an Air Quality Plan Approval for a Caterpillar engine at the pad located in Springville Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 1893)

-- CNX Gas Company, LLC - MOR-40 Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP issued an Air Quality Plan Approval for multiple sources of air pollution at the pad located in Richhill Twp., Greene County. (PA Bulletin, page 1893)

-- Diversified Production, LLC - Nineveh NV-34 Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP issued a GP-5A Air Quality General Permit for multiple sources of air pollution on the pad located in Morris Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 1893)

-- Hummel Gas-Fired Power Station: DEP extended approval to temporarily operate the cooling towers constructed at the power plant located in Shamokin Dam Borough, Snyder County. (PA Bulletin, page 1894)

-- Texas Eastern Transmission, LP - Perulack Compressor Station: DEP extended the Air Quality Plan Approval covering multiple air pollution sources at the facility located in Lack Twp., Juniata County. (PA Bulletin, page 1894)

-- MarkWest Liberty Midstream & Resources LLC - Harmon Creek Gas Processing Plant (Harmon Creek 2): DEP extended the Air Quality Plan Approval covering multiple sources of air pollution at the facility located in Smith Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 1895)

-- Buckeye Terminals LLC - South Williamsport Bulk Petroleum Distribution Facility: DEP issued a State Only Air Quality Operating Permit covering multiple sources of air pollution at the facility located in Armstrong Twp., Lycoming County. (PA Bulletin, page 1895)

Blasting Permits

-- Wampum Hardware Company - PER-W38 Shale Gas Well Pad Site: DEP issued a blasting permit for the development of a well pad site in North Buffalo Twp., Armstrong County. (PA Bulletin, page 1897)

-- DW Drilling & Blasting LLC - Frystak Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP issued a blasting permit for the development of the well pad located in Bridgewater Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 1898)

NPDES Stormwater Permit

-- National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp - Gas Pipeline Replacement Project: DEP invites comments on an individual NPDES Stormwater Permit for the project located in Shippen Twp., Cameron County. (PA Bulletin, page 1855)

Chapter 105 Encroachment Permits

-- UGI Utilities, Inc. - Replace 18,650 Feet Of Gas Pipeline: DEP invites comments on a Chapter 105 Small Projects permit for a gas pipeline replacement project on Game Commission land located in Hebron Twp., Potter County. (PA Bulletin, page 1871)

Erosion & Sedimentation Permits

-- Coterra Energy, Inc.: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Dority Creek in Auburn Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 1900)

-- JKLM Energy, LLC: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting the Cowanesque and Tioga Rivers located in Lawrence Twp., Tioga County. (PA Bulletin, page 1900)

-- Highland Field Services, LLC - Pipeline Project: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Doe Run (High Quality), Lick Run (High Quality), South Fork West Branch Potato Creek (High Quality), Elk Fork (Exceptional Value) and West Fork West Branch Potato Creek (High Quality) located in Sergeant Twp., McKean County. (PA Bulletin, page 1900)

-- Snyder Bros, Inc.: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Town Run and Pine Creek located in Redbank Twp., Clarion County. (PA Bulletin, page 1900)

-- Snyder Bros, Inc.: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for the Sharisky Well Pad Renewal: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for the project impacting Huling Run located in Washington Twp., Armstrong County. (PA Bulletin, page 1900)

-- EQM Gathering Of PA LLC - JE Phillips and RL Throckmorton Pipeline Project: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a pipeline project impacting Hoge Run (High Quality) and House Run (High Quality) located in Center Twp., Greene County. (PA Bulletin, page 1900)

-- Equitrans Water Service (PA), LLC - Cole Farm Impoundment Reclamation Project: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for the project impacting Hargus Creek (High Quality) located in Center Twp., Greene County. (PA Bulletin, page 1900)

-- MarkWest Liberty Midstream & Resources LLC - Daylighting Gas Pipeline Ahead of Hunter Longwall Mining Panels 3 & 4: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for the project impacting Middle Wheeling Creek and Dutch Fork Creek (High Quality) located in Donegal Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 1900)

-- EQT Gathering of PA, LLC - Holbrook Storage Facility: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting South Fork Tenmile Creek (High Quality), McCourtney Run (High Quality) and Hoge Run (High Quality) located in Center Twp., Greene County. (PA Bulletin, page 1901)

Oil & Gas Well Drilling Permits [3.29.24]*

-- Last Week - Permits: DEP issued 0 conventional and 2 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Permits: DEP issued 44 conventional and 129 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Wells Drilled: 25 conventional and 100 unconventional

*Weekly Workload Report - 3.29.24

*DEP’s Weekly Oil & Gas Program Workload Report - Most Recent

DEP Issued These New Oil & Gas Permits *

*Click Here to find oil and gas well permits recently issued near you

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