This decision came after more than three years of legal arguments, dozens of Plum’s residents speaking out to defend their local environment, and continuous cooperation between Plum Borough and Protect PT to keep toxic fracking waste out of residential communities.
The Board found that the injection well did not meet the standards of the ordinance after carefully considering the health, safety, and welfare of the community in its decision.
“As a Plum resident, I’m elated that the Zoning Hearing Board has upheld our community’s ordinances and acted to protect residents by rejecting the proposal for a second wastewater disposal well in the Borough. This outcome didn’t come easily, but it proves that when a community unites and speaks with one voice, it can stand up to special interests and win,” said Plum resident Matt Kelso.
Penneco has already been operating one injection well in Plum, making the harm of a second well even more apparent to local residents and advocates.
“We are so thankful for the zoning board’s decision. This is not just about environmental protection. It’s about human rights. It’s about the right to live without fear of what’s in your air, your soil, or your water,” Katie Sheehan, a local resident, said.
Protect PT will continue to work with the Borough and its residents to keep more hazardous waste out of Plum Borough and ensure that the rights of every Pennsylvanian to clean air, soil, and water are protected over private profit.
“We will continue to study the air emissions coming from the existing site that residents have complained about. We will also stay vigilant in holding operators and government agencies accountable for impacts imposed on the community from the site,” said Gillian Graber, Executive Director of Protect PT.
TribLive.com reported the company will appeal the Board’s decision.
Visit the Protect PT website and their Facebook page to learn more about programs, initiatives, other upcoming events and how you can get involved. Click Here to sign up for their newsletter.
Resource Links - Protect PT
-- Protect PT, Partners To Host June 25 Webinar: 5 Years Later - A Progress Report On PA's Grand Jury Report On Fracking [PaEN]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - June 14 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 96 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In June 14 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- DEP’s Oil & Gas Advisory Board Meets June 25 On Well Development Pipelines; Wastewater Management Practices; Future Well Plugging Funding Needs [PaEN]
-- PA Senate Republicans Pass Bill To Roll Back Environmental, Health, Safety Regulations By Doing Nothing And Avoiding Accountability [PaEN]
-- Delaware River Frack Ban Coalition Launch Initiative To Defend The Delaware River Watershed From Oil & Gas Fracking [PaEN]
-- Plum Borough Zoning Hearing Board Voted To Deny Penneco Environmental's Application For Another Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Allegheny County [PaEN]
-- Protect PT, Partners To Host June 25 Webinar: 5 Years Later - A Progress Report On PA's Grand Jury Report On Fracking [PaEN]
-- $100/Well Bounty Established For Previously Unknown Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Conventional Well Owners Under New Program Funded By Oil Region Alliance; 4 Penn State Extension Workshops Set [PaEN]
-- 25 Environmental Groups; Local Government Associations Oppose House Bill To Fast Track Large-Scale Energy Generation, Storage Projects Proposed By Gov. Shapiro [PaEN]
-- Lead Counsel On Court Cases Striking Down Provisions In Act 13 To Preempt Local Regulation Of Oil & Gas Operations Raises Concerns About Proposed Legislation Establishing A RESET Board To Site Large Energy Projects [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro Announces Amazon Plans To Invest $20 Billion In Pennsylvania For A.I. Data Center Infrastructure; Amazon Told PUC It Has Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Goal By 2040 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For 72 - 2.5 MW Diesel-Fired Emergency Generators At New Amazon Data Services Data Center In Bucks County [PaEN]
-- PA Trout Unlimited, 17 Other Environmental, Conservation Organizations Expressed Opposition To Proposed DEP Changes To Spill Reporting Requirements [PaEN]
-- Republican Sen. Hutchinson Introduces Bill To Abolish DEP Climate Change, Recycling Fund, Coastal Zone Advisory Committees [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Rep. Vitali: PA House Environmental Committee Examines Problem Of Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells
-- The Center Square: Higher Plugging Bonds Floated To Help The State’s Abandoned Conventional Well Problem
-- MCall: Is Ban On Fracking In Delaware Watershed At Risk? Advocates Put Out A Call To Action
-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Pennsylvania Has Failed Environmental Justice Communities For Years; A New Bill Could Change That
-- Inquirer/Capital & Main- Audrey Carleton: Pennsylvania Has Failed Environmental Justice Communities For Years, A New Bill Could Change That
-- Beaver Times/Inside Climate News- Jon Hurdle: PA Fracking Company Surrenders Water Permits, Can’t Get Enough Water Out Of Big Sewickley Creek In Beaver County
-- TribLive: President Coming To Pittsburgh For PA US Senator McCormick’s July 15 PA Energy & Innovation Summit
-- Sen. McCormick: President Coming To July 15 PA Energy Innovation Summit In Pittsburgh
-- The Allegheny Front: Pittsburgh 2030 District Buildings Reduce Carbon Emissions By 50%
-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: A Future Fueled By Washington County - By Electra Janis, Washington County Commissioner [Hydrogen Hub]
-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition: Read The Letters Rejected By The Post-Gazette, Inquirer From The Shale Gas Industry
-- Wall Street Journal: US Electric Bills Headed Higher: Forecast Of Hotter-Than-Normal Summer, More Expensive Natural Gas Mean Pricier Power
-- Utility Dive: A.I. Data Centers Could Overwhelm The Electric Grid, Unless They Are Required To Run Their Facilities On New Power Sources, Market Analytics Says
-- Reuters: Data Center Demand To Push US Power Use To Record Highs In 2025-26, EIA Says
-- EarthJustice: 12 Groups File Lawsuit Challenging President Issued Unlawful Exemptions From Mercury, Arsenic Standards For 68 Coal Plants By Email
[Posted: June 13, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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