She has filed complaints on everything she sees with the Department of Environmental Protection, sent them copies of photos of the dumping and has talked to inspectors on the phone as well as a in-person site visit to her home.
On April 4 and 15, Lawson said wastewater was dumped on the road in front of her house for the first time in six years.
On April 17 she provided testimony to a Senate Committee on the issue of road dumping and on April 19-- “I left [home], I believe it was quarter of nine in the morning and I returned at like ten-thirty. And so there was about an hour and a half, hour and 45 minutes I was gone. And it was during that time period they [dumped again].”
On April 30, the dumpers hit the road in front of her home again, along with the nearby Scranton Hollow Road.
Each time, Lawson said she experienced the symptoms typical of past exposures to oil and gas wastewater-- “burning sinuses, a burning mouth and respiratory issues” and her voice gets hoarse because of the irritation of the vocal cords, which can last for days.
Click Here for just some of the photos she took + a map of the area.
Report Violations
To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, call DEP at 800-541-2050 or visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.
(Photos: Lawson’s road; top right- Scranton Hollow Road (straight start line for dumping); right bottom- Another part of Scranton Hollow Road)
Resource Links:
-- Senate Hearing: The Case For An Immediate, Total Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN]
-- Senate Hearing: Penn State Expert: ‘No More Research That Needs To Be Done’ To Justify A Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN]
-- Senate Hearing: First-Hand Account Of Health, Environmental Impacts From Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater - ‘Inhaling Oil & Gas Wastewater 24-Hours A Day’ [PaEN]
-- 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 [PaEN]
-- Senate Hearing: DEP Still Evaluating The Data On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater; Asks Public To Report Road Dumping [PaEN]
Related Article This Week:
-- 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 [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Are Everywhere In PA; An Influx Of Funding Gives DEP New Urgency To Find, Plug Them
-- PA Capital-Star/Capital & Main: Oil/Gas Companies Must Set Aside More Money To Plug Wells On Federal Land Rule Says, But It Won’t Be Enough
-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Senate Passes Bill To Change Permit Review For Energy Projects
-- WHYY: Plan To Move LNG Gas By Tanker Truck From PA To Proposed NJ Export Facility Moving Forward
-- Cleveland.com: Oil And Gas Wastewater Injection Wells Owned By Ohio Senator Are Leaking; State Paid $1.3 Million To Clean It Up
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline Ruptures In Water Pressure Test Near Roanoke, Virginia
-- Bloomberg: Build Out Of Approved US LNG Gas Export Terminals Delayed By Construction ‘Hiccups’
-- Reuters: Chinese Look To Buy Stake In Canadian LNG Gas Export Facility
[Posted: May 7, 2024] PA Environment Digest
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