Monday, March 10, 2025

Community Speaks Out Against Expansion Of Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County

On March 10,
Mom Clean Air Force, local partners and community members announced they will be testifying against MarkWest Energy's application for a third expansion to its cryogenic facilities at the Harmon Creek Gas Processing Plant, Smith Township, Washington County.

The Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Environmental Justice is holding a combined meet and hearing on the permit application March 11 at the Burgettstown Area Middle/High School Campus, LGI Room, 100 Bavington Road, Burgettstown in Washington County from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  [Read more here]

Natural gas processing plants separate ethane from shale gas, which is then used by Shell’s Beaver County petrochemical plant to produce plastics.

MarkWest Energy’s existing plants at this site have a history of permit violations, and the proposed expansion is in a designated environmental justice area with high rates of asthma, heart disease, and cancer. 

The location is also surrounded by numerous other oil and gas operations, including two unconventional well pads, another gas plant which is also seeking expansion, and two compressor stations--all within a square mile of Harmon Creek.

“Our children's health and future must take priority over petrochemical profits,” says Rachel Meyer, Ohio River Valley Field Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force.  “Families like mine are in danger because of MarkWest’s Harmon Creek facility, which has a history of violating protective air pollution regulations while processing fracked ethane gas for use in the overproduction of plastics. Children at nearby schools, including Burgettstown Area Elementary, which is within a mile and a half of the facility, can be exposed to its harmful air pollution, increasing the risks of health impacts such as developmental problems, asthma, and cancer. 

“At Moms Clean Air Force, we stand with children's health and against the expansion of the Harmon Creek facility and the harm it will cause,” said Meyer.

"The community surrounding MarkWest's Harmon Creek plant deserves much better than the Department of Environmental Protection has given them: despite having a heavy pollution burden and significant environmental exposures, the DEP has decided to ignore their own environmental justice policy by failing to provide opportunities to learn more about this expansion before holding a public hearing,” says Sarah Martik, Executive Director of the Center for Coalfield Justice. “Now it's up to residents to stand up for themselves, their families and friends, and demand that the DEP show this application the level of scrutiny it deserves and hold this serial polluter accountable."

“Gas processing plants, like all fossil fuel development, raise the risk of health harms to those living, working, or going to school near to these polluting facilities,” says Aaron Makatura, Project Coordinator for Appalachia, Environmental Health Project. “Research shows associations between shale gas operations and an array of health impacts, including poor birth outcomes, asthma exacerbation, heart failure and high blood pressure, stress and mental health issues, and cancer. 

“An expanded Harmon Creek facility will only increase these health impacts, especially for children, the elderly, and other vulnerable individuals,” added Makatura.

“The MarkWest Harmon Creek facility has a track record of dangerous air pollution violations, so an expansion is the wrong direction to take,” says Sean Hoffman, Legislative Director Clean Air Action. “It is unclear how many people in the community are aware of the expansion and the related dangers to their health. The fact that the public hearing is being rushed by the state agency tasked with protecting us and our right to breathe clean air is deeply concerning. 

“We should ensure maximum community participation when it comes to the expansion of dangerous facilities like this one. 

“Pennsylvania and the people of Smith Township deserve a fair opportunity to weigh in on a threat to their health in their own backyard, as is their right. Pennsylvania should also invest in industries that provide good, clean jobs rather than more fuel to dirty plastics production that harms our health and environment.”

Questions from media should be sent to: MomsCleanAirForce@dkcnews.com.

[Note: On Christmas morning December 25, 2022, the Energy Transfer Revolution Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plant about a mile from the Harmon Creek Plant suffered a major explosion and a fire that burned for hours and caused an uncontrolled release of ethane and other gases for nine and a half hours, according to the company.  Read more here.

(Photo: The Energy Age Blog and Marcellus Air.)

Resource Links - Harmon Creek Hearing:

-- Community Speaks Out Against Expansion Of Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- Washington County Resident To DEP: Harmon Creek Natural Gas Plant Expansion Will Result In A Huge Increase In Air Pollution, It Should Be Required To Have A Major Air Quality Permit, It Is Not A ‘Minor’ Source  [PaEN] 

-- Moms Clean Air Force To DEP: Families In Washington County Are Already Living In The Middle Of Major Natural Gas Industrial Sites - Do Not Expand The Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant And Make It Worse  [PaEN] 

-- Fact Sheet: How Oil and Gas Operations Impact Your Baby’s Health

-- DEP: Shell Petrochemical Plant Pays Additional $2,671,044.75 In Civil Penalties For 12-Month Air Quality Violations After May 2023 Consent Order  [PaEN] 

-- Shell Falcon Pipeline LP Pleads No Contest To Criminal Charges For Violating The State Clean Streams Law In Allegheny, Beaver, Washington Counties; Will Pay $300,000 In Penalties  [PaEN] 

-- 3 Days That Shook Washington County: Natural Gas Plant Explosion; Pipeline Leak Of 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Gas; 10,000 Gallon Spill At Compressor Station  [PaEN] 

-- PA Shale Gas & Public Health Conference Attended By Nearly 480 People Featured Health Experts, Scientists, Advocacy Groups On Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas Development  [PaEN]

Resource Links - Health:

-- Frackland Video Tour, with Lois Bower-Bjornson, Clean Air Council

-- Part I - Environmental Impacts: State Dept. Of Health, Penn State Medical Webinars On Caring For Persons Living & Working In Communities With Oil & Natural Gas Extraction  [PaEN]

-- Part II - Health Impacts: State Dept. Of Health, Penn State Medical Webinars On Caring For Persons Living & Working In Communities With Oil & Natural Gas Extraction  [PaEN]

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Studies Find Shale Gas Wells Can Make Asthma Worse; Children Have An Increased Chance Of Developing Lymphoma Cancer; Slightly Lower Birth Weights  [PaEN]

-- State Dept. Of Health Apologizes For Not Listening To Communities Suffering Health Impacts From Shale Gas Development; New Health Study Results ‘Just The Tip Of The Iceberg’  [PaEN] 

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility PA’s Dr. Ned Ketyer Shares Summary Of Studies Of Shale Gas Development Impacts On Human Health [PaEN]

-- State Health Plan Identified Oil & Gas Development As Health Risk Last Year; Environmental Health Indicators Map Is Now Available To Show Potential Risks Near You [PaEN]

-- 9th Compendium Of Studies On Health & Environmental Harms From Natural Gas Development Released - ‘The Rapidly Expanding Body Of Evidence Compiled Here Is Massive, Troubling And Cries Out For Decisive Action’ [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: Body Of Evidence Is 'Large, Growing,’ ‘Consistent’ And 'Compelling' That Shale Gas Development Is Having A Negative Impact On Public Health; PA Must Act  [PaEN]

-- DEP Determines Rulemaking Petition Submitted By Environmental, Health Groups To Adopt More Protective Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells Is An Action The Environmental Quality Board Has Statutory Authority To Take [PaEN]

-- Cecil Township Supervisors In Washington County Adopt 2,500 Setback From Shale Gas Well Pads From Homes, Businesses, 5,000 Foot Setback From Hospitals, Schools  [PaEN]

-- Range Resources And MarkWest Liberty Midstream File Legal Challenges To The 2,500 Foot Shale Gas Facility Setback Ordinance Adopted By Cecil Township, Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- The Energy Age Blog: Range Resources & MarkWest Liberty Midstream File Legal Challenges Against 2,500 Foot Shale Gas Setback Ordinance In Cecil Twp., Washington County

-- Cecil Township Supervisors Direct Solicitor To Prepare Ordinance Increasing Setbacks From Shale Gas Well Pads By At Least 2,500 Feet; Another Hearing, Vote Expected Nov. 4   [9.9.24]   [Hearing Summary]

-- House Committee Hearing On Increasing Safety Setbacks Zones Around Natural Gas Facilities Heard About First-Hand Citizen Experiences On Health Impacts, From Physicians On Health Studies And The Gas Industry On Job Impacts  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw, Republican Chair Of Senate Environmental Committee, Calls Bill To Reduce Shale Gas Industry Impacts On Health, Environment ‘Stupid’  [PaEN] 

-- Senators Santarsiero, Comitta Introduce SB 581 Increasing Setback Safety Zones From Natural Gas Drilling Sites, Other Infrastructure, Based On Latest Science  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: Setback Distances And The Regulations We Need To Protect Public Health From Oil & Gas Facilities  [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- PA American Water Identifies Water Source For New Public Water System To Replace Water Wells Contaminated By Shale Gas Fracking 20 Years Ago In Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County  [PaEN]

-- Community Speaks Out Against Expansion Of Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- Washington County Resident To DEP: Harmon Creek Natural Gas Plant Expansion Will Result In A Huge Increase In Air Pollution, It Should Be Required To Have A Major Air Quality Permit, It Is Not A ‘Minor’ Source  [PaEN] 

-- Moms Clean Air Force To DEP: Families In Washington County Are Already Living In The Middle Of Major Natural Gas Industrial Sites - Do Not Expand The Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant And Make It Worse  [PaEN]

-- Republican Herald Editorial: One-Sided Discussions On Issues Don’t Promote True Progress, EPA Visit Was Not A 'Roundtable Discussion,' But A 'Rally' For Natural Gas In Delaware River Basin  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Marks Milestone Of Plugging 300 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Over 2 Years; New Technology Finding More Abandoned Wells  [PaEN] 

-- PA Council Of Trout Unlimited: Millions In Trout Unlimited Watershed Projects Improve The Environment, Local Economies Across The US; Federal Funding Freeze, Office Closures, Staff Cuts 'Sacrificing Our National Conservation Legacy'  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Launches Legislative Push for 'Lightning Plan’ To Build More Energy Projects, Speed Up Permitting, Lower Costs, Create Jobs For Pennsylvanians  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Geothermal Might Have The Answer For Pennsylvania's Clean Energy Needs - By John Walliser, PA Environmental Council & Kevin Sunday, McNees Wallace & Nurick   [PaEN] 

-- EPA Pulls Back Regulations Setting Methane Emission Limits, Regulating Wastewater From Oil & Gas Operations, Risk Management Rule At Petrochemical Plants  [PaEN] 

-- EPA Launches Biggest Deregulation Action For Industry In US History, 'Driving A Dagger Straight Into The Heart Of The Climate Change Religion,’ Unleashing The American Energy Industry  [PaEN] 

-- Clean Air Council: EPA To Reverse Life-Saving Finding Carbon Pollution Is Endangering Public Health By Driving Climate Change  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: EPA Deregulation Bombshell A Blow To The Chesapeake Bay  [PaEN] 

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: EPA Announces Plan To Put Pollution Before Our Health  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Scranton Times: PA American To Provide Clean Drinking Water In Dimock To Replace Fracking-Contaminated Private Wells  [PDF of Article]

-- WVIA: PA American Water: Dimock Twp. Residents Will Have Drinkable Water By 2026

-- Post-Gazette: Chester, Delaware County Leading The Fight For Environmental Justice [LNG Export Facility]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: New Federal Administration Considers Strategies To Overturn Delaware River Basin Commission Fracking Ban  [PDF of Article]

-- WHYY: Bucks County Residents Continue To Press For Shutdown Of Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline; Bucks County District Attorney Referred Incident To State Attorney General’s Office

-- Observer- Reporter: Project Aims To Increase Geothermal Energy Use In State  [PDF of Article

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Anti-Drilling Trout Unlimited Crying Over $180 Million In Frozen Federal Funds  [PDF of Article

-- US EIA Forecasts Natural Gas Prices Up 11% In 2025, Another 8% In 2026 Over Last Forecasts As LNG Demand Grows

-- Marcellus Drilling News: NYMEX Natural Gas Price Hits 2-Year High Of $4.491/MMBtu  [PDF of Article]

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: America Needs The Energy Pennsylvania Can Supply - By American Petroleum Institute

-- Financial Times: US DOE Secretary Says US Shale Can ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ At Low Oil, Gas Prices; Industry Says No

-- Barron’s: Williams Pipeline CEO Not Willing To Move Ahead With PA-NY Constitution Pipeline Even With President’s Blessing As Long As NY, New England Governors Oppose

-- Reuters: President’s Tariffs On Steel, Aluminum To Raise Costs For US Oil, Gas Firms, Experts Say

-- Grist: Federal Pipeline Safety Agency Withdraws Proposed Rules To Prevent Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Releases In Response To President’s Executive Order

-- Reuters: US DOE Secretary Says Global Warming A Side Effect Of Modern Economy; Vows to End Climate Policies To Promote Fossil Fuels At Oil/Gas Industry Conference  

[Posted: March 10, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

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