Penn State Extension: Common Water Testing Parameters For Determining If Oil & Gas Drilling, Pipelines Pollute Water Wells

The Penn State Extension has put together a handy reference for common water testing parameters well owners can use to determine if oil and gas drilling, pipelines and other infrastructure are polluting water wells.

The parameters include alkalinity, arsenic, barium, bromide, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene), chloride, gross alpha radiation, methane/ethane, strontium and other characteristics.

The information also includes references for more information.

[Note: Having baseline well water testing before oil and gas impacts are suspected is critical for comparison purposes.]

Click Here for a copy of the water testing parameters. 

Visit the Penn State Extension website to learn more about other educational opportunities.

(Photo: Site of shale gas wastewater pipeline 18,000 gallon spill.)

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]

-- KDKA: PUC Chair DeFrank: Concerns About Rising Electric Bills From A.I. Data Centers Are Legitimate; Development Of Centers Must Be ‘Well Planned, Well Thought’ Out

-- 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 29, 2025]  PA Environment Digest