PA Environment Digest Blog: Warren Times: US Forest Service Closes American Refining Group Facilities In Allegheny National Forest Declaring Them Unsafe Due To Hazardous Materials, Structurally Unsound Buildings

On December 19, the Warren Times Observer reported the US Forest Service issued an order to close land used by the American Refining Group [ARG Resources, Inc.] in the Highland Township, Elk County area of the Allegheny National Forest to the public due to unsafe conditions caused by hazardous materials and structurally unsound buildings.

The areas include the Bear Creek Facility; Chaffee Facility; CO2 Facility; Highland Facility: Horton Facility; Lamont Facility; Lamont Tool House; Sulfa Treat Facility; Weaver Facility; and the Weld Shop.

Click Here for maps of the areas.

Signs have been posted prohibiting entry to the areas. Law enforcement will conduct regular patrols of the closed areas, according to the Forest Service.

Those found trespassing could be fined up to $5,000 for individuals or $10,000 for organizations or face up to six months in jail.

Click Here for a copy of the order and more information.

Questions should be directed to the Allegheny National Forest Marienville Ranger District Office at 814-927-6628 or send email to: sm.fs.anf@usda.gov.

Background

The American Refining Group operates a refinery in Bradford, McKean County manufacturing high-quality waxes, lubricant base oils, gasoline and fuels, as well as a wide variety of specialty products from crude oil.

In April 2020, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette did an extensive story on how the Allegheny National Forest faced a new wave of conventional oil and gas well abandonment from ARG Resources, a drilling company related to American Refining Group, based in an oil field in Highland Township, Elk County.

The company shut down the operation and “decommissioned” approximately 1,660 conventional oil and gas wells, dozens of buildings and tanks and roughly 150 miles of roads. Read more here.

A follow-up article by the Post-Gazette in May 2021 described how a deal fell apart to plug the 1,600 abandoned ARG Resources wells. Read more here.

In June 2023, the Department of Environmental Protection solicited bids for plugging up to 10 abandoned conventional oil and gas wells in Highland Township, Elk County owned by ARG Resources. Read more here.

The contract was funded by ARG Resources well plugging bonds forfeited to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Underground Injection Well Program.

In September 2023, DEP inspected 3 wells owned by ARG Resources in response to a notice of an intent to plug the wells, found them to be abandoned and not plugged. No previous violations were issued. Read more here.

In July 2024, there was another instance where DEP inspected an ARG Resources abandoned conventional well leaking gas and did not issue a violation. Read more here.]

In November 2025, the Department of Environmental Protection did inspections of 26 abandoned conventional oil and gas wells owned by ARG Resources in Highland Township, Elk County for plugging under the taxpayer-funded federal well plugging program. Read more here.

NewsClip:

-- Warren Times: US Forest Service Closes American Refining Group Facility In Highland Twp., Elk County, Declares Them Unsafe Due To Hazardous Materials, Structurally Unsound Buildings [PDF of Article]

(Photos: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Allegheny National Forest Faces New Wave Of Conventional Oil & Gas Well Abandonment, April 3, 2020.)

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 13 to 19 -- Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations Hit 70; Conventional Well Not Plugged For 2,045 Days; MarkWest Loses Another 69,000 Of Pipeline Drilling Fluid To Mine Voids [PaEN]

-- DEP: MarkWest Liberty Midstream Reports 69,000 Gallon Pipeline Construction Fluid Loss Into Mine Voids Under Washington County; 476,600 Gallons Lost So Far [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 20 [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 3 Shale Gas Water Withdrawal Requests; 22 Total For 2025 [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 31 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In November; 429 In 2025 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 51 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 20 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of The NPDES Wastewater Permit For The BET Associates IV, LLC Anthracite Mining Discharge In Schuylkill, Carbon Counties Affecting 7,479 Acres [PaEN]