Three separate criminal complaints were filed regarding the natural gas company’s violations related to improper waste management practices and policies.
In all, Seneca is charged with 64 counts of violations of the Solid Waste Management Act and 36 counts of violations of the Clean Streams Law.*
[ Charges Part 1, Charges Part 2 and Charges Part 3 totalling 99 pages. For each charge there is a description of the violation by Seneca.]
The charges address the company’s continued inaction and lack of response to warnings and orders from state agencies.
In one incident in Cameron County, a wastewater pipeline rupture resulted in drinking water being contaminated at a couple’s home.
[Editor’s Note: Although not identified in the press release, the story of the Seneca wastewater pipeline rupture and contamination of John and Paige Roseberger’s water well was documented by PA Environment Digest in July 2024 - Read more here.]
“Every Pennsylvanian has a constitutional right to pure water, and these cases resulted in violations of those rights,” Attorney General Sunday said. “In one example, a couple’s home — which they worked their entire lives to afford — was subjected to contaminated water. Such outcomes will not be tolerated, and I commend our Environmental Crimes Section for their work in this case.”
One set of allegations against the company involves Seneca’s operations in Lycoming, Tioga, Potter, Clearfield, Elk, McKean, Jefferson and Cameron Counties.
The Department of Environmental Protection warned them that their practices were not in line with Pennsylvania law, but those warnings were ignored or disputed.
Another set of allegations against the company involves Seneca’s injection of wastewater into unconventional gas wells on a well pad in Cameron County.
Seneca’s unlawful practice was designed to aid in the disposal of their abundance of wastewater.
Regarding the water contamination in Cameron County, although Seneca responded to the spill quickly, they decided to move forward with a procedure to flush the spill area with water which hadn’t been approved by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Seneca continued this practice at the site, even after being told in writing by DEP to not move forward until more investigation had been done.
The procedure ultimately pushed more contaminants into the surface waters and ground water in the area.
The case is being prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Franz.
Criminal charges, and any discussion thereof, are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Click Here for the Attorney General’s announcement.
Rob Boulware, director of stakeholder relations for Seneca Resources, said in a statement reported by WHYY-- the company is “constantly recognized as an industry leader, with best of class corporate citizenship, environmental stewardship and our willingness to work with communities and regulators. These are commitments that we make with all the communities where we operate, and we take these responsibilities seriously.”
[ *The Office of Attorney General updated the number of criminal counts from the original release.]
(Photos: Seneca Resources wastewater pipeline rupture spills 18,000 gallons of wastewater that results in the contamination of John & Page Roseberger’s water well in Cameron County.)
NewsClips:
-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: PA Attorney General Files Criminal Charges Against Seneca Resources Shale Gas Driller For Illegal Waste Disposal In 8 PA Counties; Company Says It’s ‘An Industry Leader’
-- Bradford Era: Seneca Resources Shale Gas Driller Charged For Wastewater Dumping
-- ExploreJeffersonPA.com: Seneca Resources Faces 114 Criminal Charges For Illegal Waste Disposal Throughout Region
Resource Links:
-- No One Warned A Cameron County Family Their Water Well Was Contaminated By A Seneca Resources Shale Gas Wastewater Pipeline Rupture [PaEN]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Oct. 25 to 31 - 100 Criminal Charges Filed; 49-Hour Uncontrolled Shale Gas Well; Failed To Clean Up Conventional Well Spills For 1,364 Days And Counting [PaEN]
-- [Read Carefully!] PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 1 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For 3.9 Mile Shale Gas Well Pad Development Access Road, Staging Area In Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On First Title V Air Quality Permit For the Calpine Mid-Merit II 1,449 MW Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant In York County; To Supply Power To Data Center Project [PaEN]
-- DEP Sets Dec. 1 Hearing On Revised Title V Air Quality Permit For The Monroe Energy LLC Trainer Refinery In Delaware County [PaEN]
-- [Read Carefully! An Unusual Number Of Hearings, Big Permits] DEP Posted 77 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 1 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Attorney General Sunday: Criminal Charges Filed Against Seneca Resources For 64 Counts Of Illegal Dumping Of Shale Gas Waste In Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties [PaEN]
-- Capital & Main: Pennsylvania Gas Producer [CNX Resources] Sues Capital & Main Over Its Reporting On Health Risks [Trying To Silence Its Reporting] [PaEN]
-- House Environmental Committee To Hold Nov. 5 Hearing On Impacts Of Proposed LNG Natural Gas Export Terminal In Southeast PA [PaEN]
-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough: Environmental Groups Urge Environmental Quality Board To Accept Rulemaking Petition For Study Increasing Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- DEP: Coterra Energy 49-Hour Shale Gas Well Control Incident While Fracking Resulting In Spraying Production Fluids Over Well Pad, Releasing Natural Gas In Susquehanna County [PaEN]
-- DEP Solicits Bids On 2 Contracts To Plug 25 Abandoned Conventional Wells In Erie County At Taxpayer Expense; 1 Conventional Well In Clearfield County Expected To Cost $200,000+ To Plug [PaEN]
-- DEP Air Quality Advisory Committee Meets Nov. 6 To Hear Presentations On VOC Emissions Reporting From Conventional Oil & Gas/Shale Gas Wells And Air Pollution From A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]
-- Inside Climate News: Gov. Shapiro Joins 3 Other Governors In A Proposal To Give Priority To A.I. Data Centers That Bring Their Own Electric Generation To The Grid [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro, Oklahoma Gov. Stitt Lead Bipartisan National Governors Assn. Group Recommending Energy Facility Permitting Reform To Address Nation’s Energy Crisis [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - November 3 [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: PA Attorney General Files Criminal Charges Against Seneca Resources Shale Gas Driller For Illegal Waste Disposal In 8 PA Counties; Company Says It’s ‘An Industry Leader’
-- Bradford Era: Seneca Resources Shale Gas Driller Charged For Wastewater Dumping
-- ExploreJeffersonPA.com: Seneca Resources Faces 114 Criminal Charges For Illegal Waste Disposal Throughout Region
-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: All Major Players In PA’s Budget Impasse Met In Person This Week, Will A Deal Follow? [RGGI, Permit, Regulatory Changes In Play]
-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA Needs Every Tool, Every MW To Meet Growing Energy Demand - By Andrew Tubbs, Energy Utility Association Of PA
-- LancasterOnline Editorial: PA Residents Shouldn’t Pay The Price For A.I. Data Center-Spiked Electricity Rates [PDF of Article]
-- PennLive Guest Essay: The Energy Utility Association Of PA Proposes To Place Risk Of Increasing Electric Generation On Ratepayers - By Nora Brownell, Former PA PUC Commissioner
-- WHYY: Republican Lawmakers From PA, NJ, VA, MD Weigh Solutions To Rising Electricity Bills Driven By A.I. Data Centers - Faster Permitting, Ending Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative In PA [That Was Never Implemented]
[Posted: October 31, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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