PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Oil & Gas Advisory Board Meets Dec. 5 On Methane Emissions Reduction; Federal Plugging Program; Injection Well Primacy; Financial Assurance; Drilling & Permitting Activity Impacts On DEP Budget

The DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board is scheduled to meet December 5 on a variety of topics including EPA’s oil and gas methane reduction rule, updates on federal well plugging program, injection well primacy, financial assurance and the impact of reduced drilling and permitting activity funding for DEP’s Oil and Gas regulatory program.

The full agenda includes these items--

-- Public Comment Period

-- Update On RISE PA Program [Reducing Industrial Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions] Click Here for DEP’s presentation. [Read more here on grant guidelines.]

-- Update On EPA’s oil and gas methane reduction rule. Click Here for DEP’s presentation.

-- Board Well Plugging Subcommittee Report

-- Updated On Federal Well Plugging Grant, Formula Grant, Regulatory Improvement Grant and Matching Grant

-- Update on Methane Emission Reduction Grant Programs [Read more here]

-- Type 11 Cement for Use In Well Construction

-- Update: Attainable Bottom Workground

-- ESCGP-4 Erosion & Sedimentation General Permit

-- Status Of EPA Injection Well Primary + Underground Gas Storage Area Inspections

-- Drilling & Permitting Activity Impacts To DEP Budget [Read more here]

-- Update on Finance Assurance of Well Owner’s Potential Liabilities

-- SPEED (Streamlining Permits For Economic Expansion & Development [Read more here.]

Public Comments

Individuals interested in providing public comment during the meeting should contact Todd Wallace at least 24-hours in advance of the meeting at twallace@pa.gov or by telephone at 717.783.6395.

Individuals must submit a written copy of their comments to twallace@pa.gov no later than 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting.

The comment must relate directly to a topic that is listed on the December 5, 2024, meeting agenda for consideration by the board.

Joining the Meeting

The meeting will be held in Room 105 Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg starting at 10:00 a.m.

Click Here for instructions for joining the meeting online or by telephone.

For available handouts and more information, visit the DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board webpage meeting. Questions should be directed to Todd Wallace at twallace@pa.gov or by telephone at 717-783-6395.

Upcoming Meeting

December 12-- DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council meeting. Technology Center, Room 243, 200 Innovation Blvd, State College. 10:00 a.m. Click Here for options to join the meeting remotely. Contact: Adam Walters 717-214-6548 or adwalters@pa.gov.

(Photos: Shale gas development in Tioga State Forest in Tioga County.)

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 16 to 22 - $5.257 Million In Penalties; Conventional Well Owners Issued More Violations Than All Of 2023; More Abandoned Wells; Failure To Submit Shale Gas Reports [PaEN]

-- EPA, Justice Dept., DEP Announce $5.275 Million In Penalties, Plus $1.4 Million In Abandoned Well Plugging Funding Against Shale Gas Drilling Companies-- XTO Energy, Inc., Hilcorp Energy Company For Federal, State Clean Air Act Violations [PaEN]

-- DEP So Far In 2024: 6,907 Violations Issued To Owners Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wells - 153% More Than In 2021; 833 Violations For Abandoning Their Wells -- Exceeding All Of 2023 [PaEN]

-- Oil & Gas Wastewater Release At Bear Lake Properties Injection Well In Warren County Went Unreported For 109 Days; More Contamination Discovered Along Related Wastewater Pipeline Route [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 23 [PaEN]

-- DEP Prints Corrected Notice Inviting Comments On New Air Pollution Permit For Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Processing Plant In Washington County; Plant Suffered Major Explosion, Fire In 2022 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 60 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 23 PA Bulletin [PaEN]