Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets Oct. 30 Hearing On The Proposed 2025 Fee Schedule; Water Withdrawal Requests, Including 4 Supporting Shale Gas Development

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is scheduled to hold a hearing October 30 on water withdrawal requests, including four supporting shale gas development in Bradford, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties.  (formal notice)

The hearing agenda also includes accepting comments on the proposed 2025 fee schedule.

The agenda items for the October 30 hearing will likely be considered at the Commission’s December 12 business meeting.

SRBC has approved 23 new and renewed water withdrawal requests for shale gas operations so far in 2024.  Read more here.

SRBC has also approved a total of 212  General Permits for individual water uses by shale gas well pads so far in 2024. Read more here.

Here are the new shale gas water withdrawal requests for the hearing--

-- New: Project Sponsor and Facility: Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC (Susquehanna River), Sheshequin Township, Bradford County, PA. Application for surface water withdrawal of up to 4.000 mgd (peak day).

-- Renewal: Project Sponsor and Facility: Coterra Energy, Inc. (Tunkhannock Creek), Lenox Township, Susquehanna County, PA. Application for renewal and modification of surface water withdrawal of up to 2.880 mgd (peak day) (Docket No. 20191201).

-- Renewal: Project Sponsor and Facility: Coterra Energy, Inc. (Tunkhannock Creek), Nicholson Township, Wyoming County, PA. Application for renewal and modification of surface water withdrawal of up to 2.880 mgd (peak day) (Docket No. 20230903).

-- Renewal: Project Sponsor and Facility: SWN Production Company, LLC (Susquehanna River), Great Bend Township, Susquehanna County, PA. Application for renewal of surface water withdrawal of up to 2.000 mgd (peak day) (Docket No. 20191209).

Click Here to find more  information on the water withdrawal applications.

Click Here to submit comments on pending water withdrawal requests.

Public Comments

Send an email to register to provide comments at the hearing to:  joyler@srbc.gov. 

The Commission will accept written general comments pertaining to other agenda items not presented at the October 30 public hearing until November 12. 

Click Here to submit comments electronically.

Joining The Hearing

The hearing will be held at the Susquehanna River Basin Commission offices, 4423 North Front Street in  Harrisburg starting at 630 p.m.

 To join remotely: call 1-877-304-9269 (US Toll Free) and enter Guest Passcode: 2619070#

Read the entire SRBC hearing notice for more information.

For more information on programs, training opportunities and upcoming events, visit the Susquehanna River Basin Commission website.  Click Here to sign up for SRBC’s newsletter.   Follow SRBC on Twitter, visit them on YouTube.

(Photos: SRBC-approved shale gas drilling water withdrawal point on the Loyalsock Creek in Lycoming County under construction.)

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 - Five More Abandoned  Shale Gas Well Violations; Failure To Disclose Fracking Chemicals; Failure To Report Waste Generation & Disposal; Lawnmower Causes Conventional Pipeline Gas Leak [PaEN] 

-- DEP Issues Violations To 7 Shale Gas Drillers For Failure To Submit Monthly Waste Generation, Disposal, Production Reports - 1 Company For 3 Years; 2 More Drillers Fail To Disclose Fracking Chemicals  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - October 5 [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets Oct. 30 Hearing On The Proposed 2025 Fee Schedule; Water Withdrawal Requests, Including 4 Supporting Shale Gas Development  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 72 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In October 5 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Begins Accepting Grant Applications Oct. 9 To Plug Orphan Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Advisory Group To Hear How DEP Proposes To Implement New Federal Methane Reduction Rule For Conventional Oil & Gas, Shale Gas Wells, Infrastructure Oct. 10  [PaEN]

-- State Fire Commissioner Now Accepting Applications From Local Fire, Emergency Services For Training, Equipment To Respond To Shale Gas Infrastructure Fires, Emergencies  [PaEN]

-- Center For Coalfield Justice Hosts Oct. 16 In-Person Program In Waynesburg, Greene County On Protecting Public Health, Resources From Shale Gas Development   [PaEN] 

-- Sen. Yaw Introduces Bill To Prohibit State Government From Owning Any Clean Energy Credits; Would Force The Use Of More Taxpayer Money To Plug Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Routinely Abandoned By Conventional Well Owners  [PaEN] 

-- PennFuture: Lawmakers Move Bill To Require Clean Solar Energy Facilities To Have Bonds; But Fail To Have Adequate Plugging Bonds For Dirty Oil & Gas Wells Leaving Taxpayers To Pick Up The Cost  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets Oct. 8 On Hydrogen Hubs, Data Centers, Food Processing Residuals, PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Regulation  [PaEN]

-- No Decision Posted Yet From DEP On Whether Flare Gas Chemical Makeup, Volume At Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Is Confidential Business Information  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Fracking In Pennsylvania Hasn’t Gone As Well As Some May Think

-- The Allegheny Front - Susan Phillips: Fracking In Pennsylvania Hasn’t Gone As Well As Some May Think

-- LancasterOnline Letter: Remembering The Reality Of Fracking - Doing It Safely Or The Wild West - Not For Or Against - By Bruce Riefenstahl, Mount Joy

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Ad Crable: Pennsylvania Factions Spar Over Treating Roads With Drilling Wastewater

-- Olean Times Herald (NY): Marine Vet In McKean County Deals With Fracking Wastewater Injection Well Next Door: ‘I Regret Purchasing This Home’ 

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Work On Shale Gas Wastewater Injection Well In McKean County Progresses  [PDF of Article]

-- The Energy Age Blog: Update: Emergency DEP Conventional Well Plugging Continues In Allegheny County 

-- PennLive - John Beauge: Construction Of PA General Energy Natural Gas Pipelines In Lycoming County Can Begin Despite Concerns For Trail, Wild Trout Streams  [Read more here ] 

-- Federal Pipeline Safety Agency Increases Grants To State With Pipeline, Underground Gas Safety Programs [PA PUC Receive $2.6 Million In Base Grant In 2023]

-- Senate Passes Sen. Baker’s Extension Of PA One Call Program For Underground Utility Safety

-- The Allegheny Front - Kara Holsopple: New Guidelines Center On The Needs Of People With Disabilities During Petrochemical Disasters

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Federal Court Certifies Class Action Lawsuit Against Range Resources For Potentially 204 Landowners Over Lease/Royalty Issues  [PDF of Article ]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: EQT Natural Gas Driller Announces Plan To Cut 15% Of Its Workforce-- About 250 Employees

-- Reuters: Natural Gas Producer EQT To Lay Off 15% Of Workforce

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Rigs Up 1 To 15 From Last Week [Down 28% Since Aug. 23]

-- Observer-Reporter: Marcellus Shale Has Wealth Of Natural Gas And More [Royalty Payments, Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees]  [PDF of Article]  [Part 3]

-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas Association Warns Of Colder Winter, Higher Gas Prices On Heels Of North American Electric Reliability Corp Concerns About Sufficient Gas Supplies 

-- The Guardian: LNG Gas Has Far Worse Climate Emissions Than Coal, Cornell Study Finds 

-- Bloomberg: LNG Gas Traders Choose To Pay Penalties For Not Shipping Gas To Germany To Chase Higher Profits In Asia

-- Bloomberg: LNG Gas Exporter New Fortress Energy Stock Plunges After Delaying Dividend Payment  [Proposing Gas Export Facilities In PA]

-- Reuters: Big US Oil/Gas Companies Reveal ‘Massive’ $42 Billion In Payments To Foreign Governments; US Gets Worst Natural Resource Extraction Deals 

[Posted: October 4, 2024]  PA Environment Digest