PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Issues Abandoned Well Violation To Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well With Nearly Full Storage Tanks, Expired EPA Permit In Venango County

During a routine inspection on November 27, the Department of Environmental Protection issued a violation to Stonehaven Energy MGT Co. LLC for abandoning an oil and gas wastewater injection well in Cranberry Township, Venango County.

The Latshaw 9 conventional well was first issued a permit as a waste injection well by DEP on June 10, 2014 and by the US Environmental Protection Agency on June 28, 2016.

Over 2,280,390 gallons of oil and gas wastewater was disposed of at this well between 2017 to 2022, according to five annual reports filed with EPA.

DEP’s November 27 inspection report said the Latshaw 9 well was not used for waste disposal during an inspection since March 14, 2023.

EPA’s permit for the injection well expired on October 24, 2023.

DEP inspected the Latshaw 9 well on March 11, 2024, but no violations were issued at that point.

The abandonment violation was issued by DEP as part of DEP’s November 27 inspection report.

Photos with DEP inspection reports on March 11, 2024 and November 27, 2024 show two storage tanks at the well nearly full of wastewater.

No response to the violations at the Latshaw 9 well was requested by DEP from the well owner as part of the November 27 inspection.

Stonehaven Energy holds 558 conventional oil and gas well permits, including 7 abandoned wells, according to DEP’s eFACTS database.

Interestingly, as recently as November 22, DEP’s eFACTS database said Stonehaven Energy held 727 conventional oil and gas permits. Read more here.

In 2024, DEP issued Stonehaven Energy 8 other violations for abandoning conventional wells: Bickel 4 Read more here], Bickel 2 and John Mathews 5 [Read more here], Shaffer Nancy 2 [Read more here] , Gray 1, Matko 1 and Matson Timber 1 and 3 [Read more here] and for failure to respond to spill and gas venting violations at the Walls 3 conventional well [Read more here] all in Clearfield County.

DEP’s inspection report for the Walls 3 well violations contained a note saying violations mailed through the Postal Service to Stonehaven Energy were “returned to sender.” Read more here.

Visit DEP’s Underground Injection Well webpage to learn more about this and other oil and gas wastewater injections wells in Pennsylvania.

Visit EPA Region 3 Underground Injection Well Program webpage to learn more about the federal injection well permitting program.

Report Violations

To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.

Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.

Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.

(Photos: Wastewater storage tanks on March 11, 2024; Green injection well and storage Tanks on November 27, 2024 from DEP inspection reports.)

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

[Note: These may not be all the NOVs issued to oil and gas companies during this time period. Additional inspection reports may be added to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.]

Resource Links - Injection Wells:

-- 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]

-- DEP Discovers Wastewater Release At Bear Lake Properties Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Warren County During Routine Inspection [PaEN]

-- Bradford Era: 7-Part Series Details Concerns Residents Of Cyclone, McKean County Have With Catalyst Energy Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well [PaEN]

-- Fayette County Commissioners Unanimously Pass Ordinance Restricting Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Wells [PaEN]

-- Republican Rep. Krupa Introduces HB 1656 To Ban Oil, Gas Wastewater Injection Wells To Protect The Public From Radioactive, Toxic Materials [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: DEP Ignored Abandoned Wells During Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well Permitting Process [PaEN]

-- Protect PT: Commonwealth Court Vacates Penneco Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well Permit, Remanding It To Plum Boro For Additional Fact Finding In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- Roulette Oil & Gas LLC Withdraws Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well Application In Potter County [PaEN]

-- Comments Submitted On Proposed Roulette Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Potter County By Save Our Streams PA Show Principals Have Been Involved In Abandoning 8 Previous Injection Wells [PaEN]

-- EPA: G2 STEM LLC Withdraws Application For Oil/Gas Wastewater Underground Injection Well Permit In Fayette County [PaEN]

-- Environmental Hearing Board Issues Temporary Supersedeas To Stop The Opening Of Catalyst Energy, Inc. Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In McKean County Until Hearing On Full Supersedeas [PaEN]