PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP: Conventional Gas Well Owner Uses Wastewater To Water Freshly Seeded Well Site, Discharging Wastewater Into Ditch, Storm Sewer In Warren County

The Department of Environmental Protection was prompted by a public complaint to inspect the newly drilled and fracked John D. Branch Brown 1 conventional natural gas well in Pleasant Township, Warren County on September 29, 2025 and found a hose was being used to drain wastewater from a storage tank battery to water a freshly seeded and mulched area of the well site.

Excess wastewater then ran about 35 feet across the well site to a ditch that connected to a storm sewer along Crestview Boulevard. DEP’s inspector said he saw flowing water in the storm sewer at the bottom of Crestview.

A field conductivity test by the inspector found the wastewater was 16 times the allowable limit and “was not suitable to be dispersed to the ground.”

When advised of the problem, the well owner-- “shut the valve and ceased the discharge” at the storage tank battery that was located on Farm Lane.

The well owner then called to arrange to get equipment onsite to clean up the release.

DEP advised him to get a vac truck to collect standing water and a mini excavator to begin removing contaminated soil.

DEP requested a formal written response from the well owner by October 15, including a plan for remediation of the site following either Act 2 Land Recycling Program standards or “the Alternative Remediation Process.” DEP inspection report.

A September 24, 2025 photo included in DEP’s inspection report shows wastewater from active drilling being pumped into a lined pit on the well site.

A September 26, 2025 DEP inspection report said “all fluids are contained in a lined pit and returned to tanks” and the tank battery was located along Farm Lane.

This same report said oil tanks will be equipped with “double-height vent stacks” to minimize gas odors [at ground level].

Gas from the well is to be used to supply several nearby residences.

Prior Violations

Branch started drilling the well on September 3, 2025 and completed drilling and fracking the well on or about September 26, according to DEP inspection reports.

On September 4, 2025, DEP issued a notice of violation to this same Brown 1 conventional well for failing to comply with a special condition in the permit to obtain all necessary local/municipal approvals for the well prior to drilling.

DEP requested a formal response from the well owner by September 19, but no written response was included in inspection reports before or after that deadline.

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: 9.29.25- Yellow hose draining wastewater tank; Seeded/mulched area impacted by wastewater; 9.26.25- Drilling wastewater in temporary containment prior to being put in storage tank. DEP inspection photos.)

[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 - Sept. 27 to Oct. 3 - 940,000 Gallon Shale Gas Wastewater Spill; Order Ceasing Production Of 551 Conventional Wells; Is Conventional Well Owner Abandoning 475 Wells In 6 Counties? [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - October 4 [PaEN]

-- DEP Opportunity To Bid On Plugging 15 Abandoned Conventional Oil, Gas Wells At Taxpayer Expense In Butler County

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For 77 Emergency Power Generators At The Amazon Data Center In Salem Twp., Luzerne County [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold Nov. 14 Hearing On Renewal Of An Air Quality Permit For The Coal, Natural Gas-Fired Brunner Island Power Plant In York County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On An Air Quality Permit For The Tenaska PA Partners, LLC Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- DEP Accepting Comments On The Renewal Of An Air Quality Permit For The Wolf Run Energy, LLC Natural Gas Power Plant In Bradford County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Comments Now Being Accepted For An Air Quality Permit For The Hunterstown Power, LLC Peaking Electric Generation Facility In Adams County [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets 3 Hearings On Air Quality Standards For Plastics Resin Manufacturers Shell Chemical Appalachia, Rohm & Haas Co. Multi Plastics Extrusions [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 74 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In October 4 PA Bulletin [PaEN]