PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - June 22

The following DEP notices were published in the June 22 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities.  Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments.

-- The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a July 2 virtual public hearing starting at 6:00 p.m. on a PA General Energy project to construct a 12-inch natural gas and two 8-inch water pipelines through Cummings and McHenry Townships in Lycoming County.  [Permit: E4129223-006]

The project would build the pipelines within a 30-foot wide permanent right-of-way and a temporary right-of-way that varies in width.  (PA Bulletin, page 3580)   Read more here.

Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups

-- STL Resources LLC - Sturgis South Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP received Notice of Intent to remediate soil contaminated with production wastewater to meet the Background and Statewide Health Standards on the pad located in Grugan Twp., Clinton County.   (PA Bulletin, page 3546)

-- Greylock Production, LLC - Wildcat Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP received Notice of Intent to remediate soil contaminated with production wastewater to unknown standard for residential use on the pad located in Whitely Twp., Greene County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3546)

-- Coterra Energy, Inc. - P.Waldenberger Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP received a Final Report on remediation of  soil contaminated with production wastewater to meet Statewide Health Standards on the pad located in Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3571)

-- Diversified Production LLC - Eleanor Morris 1 Well Pad: DEP received a Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated with aluminum, barium, boron, chloride, iron, lithium, manganese, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc to meet Statewide Health Standards on the pad located in Donegal Twp., Westmoreland County.   (PA Bulletin, page 3571)

-- Seneca Resources Company LLC - Watkins 820 Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP received Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated with production wastewater to meet Background and Statewide Health Standards at the pad located in Chatham Twp., Tioga County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3571)

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Parys Water Impoundment: DEP approved a Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated by diesel fuel to meet Statewide Health Standards at the facility located in Tuscarora Twp., Bradford County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3572)

-- EQT ARO LLC - Mallory Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP approved a Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated with production wastewater on the pad located in Plunketts Creek Twp., Lycoming County. (PA Bulletin, page 3572)

2024 Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups

So far in 2024, DEP received or acted on 154 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups.

Waste Permits

-- Coterra Energy, Inc. - Shale Gas East Pad: DEP invites comments on a WMGR123 Residual Waste General Permit for the expansion of wastewater storage capacity at the site and construction of a new truck loading/unloading area at the pad located in Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3547)

-- Range Resources - Appalachia, LLC - Littell Bend Storage Tank Pad: DEP approved a WMGR123 Residual Waste General Permit for a 17,000 gallon wastewater storage pad located in Hanover Twp., Beaver County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3573)

Air Quality Permits

-- EQT ARO, LLC - COP [state land] Tract 231 Compressor Station: DEP approved an Air Quality Plan Approval for multiple sources of air pollution at the facility located in Snow Shoe Twp., Centre County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3574)

-- Range Resources - Appalachia, LLC - Burkett Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP approved an Air Quality GP5A General Permit for multiple sources of air pollution at the pad located in Jefferson Borough, Washington County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3574)

-- Texas Eastern Transmission, LP - Perulack Compressor Station: DEP approved an Air Quality Plan Approval for multiple sources of air pollution at the facility located in Lack Twp., Juniata County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3574)

Individual Stormwater Permits

-- PA General Energy Company - Derr Gravel Staging Area: DEP invites comments on an individual stormwater permit for a 5.7 acre gravel staging area impacting Rush Run and Mill Creek (High Quality) in Mill Creek Twp., Lycoming County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3538)

Chapter 105 Encroachment Permits

-- The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a July 2 virtual public hearing starting at 6:00 p.m. on a PA General Energy project to construct a 12-inch natural gas and two 8-inch water pipelines through Cummings and McHenry Townships in Lycoming County.  [Permit: E4129223-006]

The project would build the pipelines within a 30-foot wide permanent right-of-way and a temporary right-of-way that varies in width.  (PA Bulletin, page 3580)   Read more here.

Erosion & Sedimentation Permits

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for an unknown project impacting Apple Creek and Buck Creek in Smithfield Twp., Bradford County.  (PA Bulletin, page 3578)

Note: Zero Conventional Permits Received, Zero Conventional Permits Under Review, Zero Conventional Permits Issued; 6 Shale Gas Permits Received, 5 Under Review, 24 Permits Issued Week Ending June 14, 2024

Oil & Gas Well Drilling Permits [6.14.24]*

-- Last Week - Permits: DEP issued 0 conventional and 24 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Permits: DEP issued 97 conventional and 240 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Wells Drilled: 65 conventional and 153 unconventional

*Weekly Workload Report - 6.14.24

*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

Sign Up! DEP eNotice: The Only Way You’ll Know When Applications Come In To DEP

Did you know DEP can send you email notices when permit applications are submitted to DEP in your community?  

This is the only way you can get notified of when oil and gas-related permits are submitted to DEP.   

You’ll also get notice of new technical guidance documents and regulations.

Click Here to sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE today!

Act 14 Notices To Municipalities

Many communities and citizens are not aware that a state law passed in 1984 gives them the first chance to comment on Department of Environmental Protection permit applications even before they are submitted to the agency.   Read more here.

Act 14 requires applicants to submit notices to municipalities and counties for air quality, water obstruction (Chapter 105), any permit issued under the Cleans Streams Law (including Chapter 102, stormwater, NPDES, many more), any solid waste and hazardous waste, land recycling and water allocation permits.

These notifications, sent by registered mail, must give municipalities and counties at least 30 days to comment to DEP and in the case of solid waste and hazardous waste at least 60 days, according to the law.

Without proof Act 14 notices were sent to municipalities and counties within the required timeframe, a DEP permit application is not complete and DEP cannot review it.

And the notices must be sent each time an applicant wants to modify, renew or expand what their applications cover, so there can be a lot of them.

For those interested in the oil and gas industry, these notices cover almost every aspect of developing oil and gas drilling well pads and all gas infrastructure-- pipelines, gas processing plants, water and wastewater storage facilities, pigging and metering stations and more.

Not covered are permits related to coal mining.  Read more here.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - June 15 to 21 - More Failed Shale Gas Well Plugs; Landslides; Venting Gas; Injection Well Issue?  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - June 22 [PaEN]

-- DEP Hearing, Special Comment Period Notices For Projects In Jefferson (Solar), Lehigh (Warehouse), Lycoming (Gas Pipeline) and York (Air Permit) Counties  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posted 53 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In June 22 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP To Hold July 2 Virtual Hearing On PA General Energy Project To Construct 3.7 Miles Of Shale Gas, Water Pipelines Thru Exceptional Value, High Quality, Wild Trout Streams In Lycoming County  [PaEN]

-- IRRC Approves Final Revised PUC Regulations Strengthening Rules For Intrastate Hazardous Liquids Pipelines; Gas Pipelines Fined Over $71 Million, Have Worst Compliance Record Of Any Industry, Including Criminal Charges  [PaEN]

-- PUC: Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue Drops $100 Million From Last Year’s Record To $179.6 Million; Puts Hole In State, Local Budgets  [PaEN] 

-- PUC To Hold July 15 Prehearing Conference On Future Of Venango Water Company, Related Companies As Follow-Up To Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill In Venango County  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- PennLive: Trout Unlimited, Mid State Trail Assn. Unhappy With Proposed Route Of PA General Energy Shale Gas Pipelines Thru Lycoming County

-- Williamsport Sun: Mid State Trail Assn., Susquehanna Chapter Trout Unlimited Challenge PA General Energy Multiple Shale Gas Pipeline Plan In Northwestern Lycoming County

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Onerous New Regulations Approved For PA Liquids Pipelines, Landmen

-- Warren Times Guest Essay: Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Still Pose A Threat - By Amanda Veazey, Geologist, CSR Services, LLC, Crawford County

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Shale Gas Drilling Impact Fees Bring In $180 Million For 2023 On Lower Gas Price, Less Drilling

-- Observer-Reporter: Shale Gas Impact Fee Funds Plummet Due To Low Natural Gas Prices  

-- The Energy Age Blog: Act 13 Shale Gas Impact Fee Drops $100 Million From Last Year’s Record, Even Though Gas Production Increased In 2023

-- TribLive: Natural Gas Well Impact Fee Allocations Drop; But ‘Every Little Bit Helps’

-- Marcellus Shale Coalition: Shale Gas Impact Fee Returns $180 Million [$100 Million Less Than Last Year]; Natural Gas Prices Drop $1.8 Billion In 2023, [Down From International Price Spikes Of 2022]

-- TribLive: North Huntingdon Twp Could Get Nearly $7,000 For Gas Rights Under Township Land In Westmoreland County

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy Podcast: How Potential For Global LNG Gas Oversupply Could Affect The Competitiveness Of The US Industry

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: CNX Plan To Turn Mine Methane Gas Into Jet Fuel A ‘Win-Win’ Or Carbon Accounting ‘Gimmick’?

-- WHYY: Former Employees Remember Philadelphia Refinery Explosion, 5 Years Later: ‘This Is How I’m Gonna Die’

-- BeaverCountian.com: Shell Petrochemical Plant’s Sirens Caused Alarm In Beaver County; Company Took Nearly A Month To Address Middle-of-the-Night Alarms 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Shell Petrochemical Plant Explains Nighttime Fire Alarms At Beaver County Plant, Warns Sirens Will Sound Later This Week 

-- KDKA: Shell Petrochemical Plant Holding Emergency Drill TODAY In Beaver County

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Will Creating Hydrogen Hubs In PA Get Us Away From Fossil Fuels? But How To Do It, And Whether It’s Possible Are Open Questions

-- CNHInews: Advocates Urge True Clean Energy Approach For Hydrogen, Others Pine For PA’s Natural Gas

-- Bloomberg: Cracks Appearing In LNG Gas Demand By China As Gas Supply Via Pipelines Grows

-- Reuters: Oil Companies Flare More Natural Gas, Defying Effort To Eliminate Practice  

-- Reuters: Fossil Fuel Use, Emissions Hit Records In 2023, Report Says

[Posted: June 21, 2024]  PA Environment Digest