DEP said the company notified the agency it used the water to frack a shale gas well at the Buffalo Yokel well pad in Parker Township, Butler County on July 31, 2025.
Water use records with the August 25 inspection report show Laurel Mountain used 64,435 gallons of water from the impoundment to frack each of the 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H, and 7H shale gas wells at the Buffalo Yokel well pad-- a few truck loads for each well.
The same records show the company used an additional 16 and 21 million gallons from a nearby water source to frack each of those wells.
One violation was continued for the site- correcting a submission on terminating the permit for the site.
Click Here for DEP’s August 24 inspection report with attachments.
July Inspection
On July 22, 2025, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the abandoned Laurel Mountain Production Stacey Road Freshwater Impoundment and found an unapproved dewatering operation was stopped.
Dewatering consists of pumping water out of the impoundment and spraying it on surrounding vegetation.
Dewatering started on July 8, but was halted by DEP on July 18 after the dewatering plan was not accepted by DEP and initial sampling of the impoundment water and during dewatering was not completed. DEP inspection report July 15.
The July 22 inspection confirmed the pump had been removed and no dewatering was going on. DEP July 22 inspection report.
April Inspection
DEP said in April Laurel Mountain Production also never complied with the basic requirement to register the impoundment with the agency since it was constructed in 2017 as required by state regulations.
DEP said Laurel Mountain submitted the impoundment registration on May 7, 2025 in the August 25 inspection report..
The Stacey Road Impoundment, located on part of a reclaimed surface coal mine, was issued a GP-2 Erosion and Sedimentation General Permit on April 11, 2017 to construct the facility. It was completed by August 2017, according to DEP eFACTs records.
DEP’s April 15, 2025 inspection report said the impoundment was only used for about 9 months, until May 12, 2018 when it was last used as a source of water for fracking shale gas wells on the Glacial well pad.
Impoundments like this must be restored no later than 9 months after their final use, which in this case would have been by February 12, 2019.
Click Here for more background.
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.
[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.]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - August 23 to 29 - Township Declares Disaster Emergency Over Polluted Water Wells; 70 More Abandoned Conventional Well Violations [PaEN]
-- DEP: Griffin Summit Oil Co. Violated Order To Plug Or Bring 53 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Into Compliance In Venango County; 437 Abandoned Conventional Well NOVs In 2025 [PaEN]
-- DEP Closes Violations For Failing To Restore Shale Gas Water Impoundment For 7 Years In Clarion County After Owner Reports Using It To Frack A Well; On July 31 [PaEN]
-- DEP To Hold Sept. 9 Virtual Update On Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Rupture In Upper Wakefield Twp., Bucks County [PaEN]
-- DEP Plugs 2 Conventional Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners And Venting Gas In Erie County [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - August 30 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments Stormwater Permit For The Hyperion Midstream 2 Mile Long Titan To Athena Loop Natural Gas Pipeline Project In Westmoreland County [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 66 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 30 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- DEP To Hold Oct. 1 Hearing On Title V Air Quality Permit For Vitro Meadville Flat Glass In Crawford County [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Freeport Township Declares Disaster Emergency After Residents Impacted By A Gas Related Water Contamination Event Have Been Without Permanent Water Supplies For 3 Years-- We’re Not Blaming Anybody, We Just Want Good, Clean Drinking Water [PaEN]
-- Inside Climate News: Pennsylvania Towns Push Back To Stop Proposed LNG Gas Export Terminals, As President Pushes LNG Exports
-- Environmental Quality Board Meets Sept. 9 To Consider 2 Petitions From Oil & Gas Industry; Air Quality; Laboratory; Drinking Water; Water Quality; Radiation Protection Regulations [PaEN]
-- Independent Fiscal Office: Residential Electricity Bills ‘Begin Surge:’ Natural Gas Prices Up 71%, PJM Prices Up Due To A.I. Data Center Demand [PaEN]
-- US DOE Orders Eddystone Generating Station To Remain In Operation For 90 More Days In Delaware County [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It -- A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week - August 31 [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Williamsport Sun: DEP Assesses Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Spill In Williamsport, Orders Company To Take Corrective Measures [PDF of Article]
-- The Center Square: Republican Rep. Ortitay Wants To Expand Natural Gas Drilling On State Land, Raise Other Revenue To Replace School Property Taxes
-- YourErie.com: DEP Plugs Conventional Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners And Venting Gas In Erie Residential Area
-- Utility Dive: EIA Projects Record Residential, Commercial Natural Gas Consumption To Offset Decreases In Power Generation [Underappreciated Risks To Gas Use By A.I. Data Center Customers]
[Posted: August 29, 2025] PA Environment Digest
No comments:
Post a Comment