Eight new gas wells were recently completed on the pad and prepping was underway to frack the wells.
Five other wells drilled and fracked since October 2024 were being staged for production.
DEP found “visible evidence of a release of material that overtopped the secondary containment structure” and contaminated liquid in secondary containment that had not been removed.
DEP also found erosion and sedimentation control measures at the pad and not been converted to post-construction best management practices to control runoff from the pad.
“DEP recommends that Seneca continues to monitor the conditions on the pad surface and the sediment basin and remove elevated conductance fluids and soils as discovered. Prevent elevated conductance fluids from leaving the facility and causing pollution to the waters of the Commonwealth.
DEP did not request a written follow-up to the violations.
Click Here for the January 21, 2026 inspection report and photost.
These conditions have continued for 455 days at this well pad without abatement.
During a December 23, 2025 inspection found similar conditions-- spills, crews trying to clean up the pad while drilling new shale gas wells.
DEP issued the original spill violations at the site on October 23, 2024 and documented spills again during a July 11, 2025 inspection that were confirmed with water samples collected on August 21, 2025.
DEP found spills and releases during an October 2, 2025 inspection and one on October 31 making the same recommendations to monitor and remove contaminated water and soil..
Criminal Charges
Also on October 31, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced criminal charges against Seneca Resources, LLC, following multiple violations of Pennsylvania’s environmental protection laws in several counties, as recommended by the 48th and 51st Statewide Investigating Grand Juries.
Three separate criminal complaints were filed regarding the natural gas company’s violations related to improper waste management practices and policies.
Prominent in the Attorney General’s announcement of the charges was the fact that DEP repeatedly warned Seneca that their practices were not in line with Pennsylvania law, but those warnings were ignored or disputed. Read more here.
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 in Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties. Read more here.
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: Evidence of overtopped secondary containment; Erosion control sediment basin; below- 8 new shale gas wells ready for fracking - 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.]
Resource Links - Seneca Resources:
-- 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]
-- No One Warned A Cameron County Family Their Water Well Was Contaminated By A Seneca Resources Shale Gas Wastewater Pipeline Rupture [PaEN]
-- DEP: Spills, Releases Continue At Seneca Resources Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County For 373 Days And Counting [PaEN]
-- DEP Day 239: Seneca Resources Wastewater Cleanup, Monitoring Efforts Continue At Vandergrift Shale Gas Well Pad In Charleston Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 3 to 30: 56 Conventional Abandoned Well Violations Start The Year; 1.2 Million Gallons Of Drilling Fluid Lost; Shale Water Pipeline Freezes; 1.5 Million Gallons Of Wastewater To Remove [PaEN
-- DEP: Day 455 And Counting: Seneca Resources Continues To Release Wastewater, Frack New Shale Gas Wells At Taft Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]
-- DEP: Owner Of At Least 43 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Issued Violations For 6 More On State Game Lands In Venango County; Efforts To Locate The Owner Have Been Unsuccessful [PaEN]
-- DEP: Eureka Resources Has Until Jan. 31 To Remove All Wastewater From Its 3 Closed Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Plants; About 1.5 Million Gallons Of Wastewater Remains In Bradford County Facility [PaEN]
-- DEP: Range Resources Force Heating, Cutting Apart Frozen Polyethylene Shale Gas Water Pipeline To Release Water, Ice In Mount Pleasant Twp., Washington County [PaEN]
-- DEP: Seneca Resources Failed To Submit Area Of Review Reports To Identify Possible Conflicts With Other Wells Prior To Start Of Drilling 4 Shale Gas Wells In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County.
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - January 31 [PaEN]
-- Governor’s Regulatory Agenda Includes Update Of Regulations For Conventional Oil & Gas Wells; New Injection Well Controls; Shale Gas Application Fee [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Air Quality Permit For 15 Natural Gas Generators To Power Iron City Wells, LLC Data Center In Karthaus Twp., Clearfield County [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 75 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 31 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- You Need To Read This: Highlights Of Shale Gas, Conventional Oil & Gas Compliance Actions During 2025 [PaEN]
-- Major Challenges Faced By DEP’s Oil And Gas Enforcement Program In 2026 [PaEN]
-- DEP Eliminates Longstanding Permitting Backlog In 2025, Launches New Bureau of Permitting Coordination [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro Renews Call On PJM To Extend Electricity Capacity Auction Price Collar Protection To Consumers, Build Lasting Grid Reform [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - February 2 [PaEN]
-- PJM Interconnection Cold Weather Operations To Continue Thru Feb. 2; Electricity Demands Now Projected To Be Below Record Winter Peak [PaEN]
-- PJM Continues Cold Weather Operations, Projects Breaking Winter Peak Demand Record Jan. 28, 29, 30 [PaEN]
-- PJM Interconnection Issues Maximum Generation Alert For Jan. 27, Low Voltage Alert Thru Jan. 31 And Asked Data Centers To Go To Backup Generation Across Its Entire Footprint To Ensure Delivery Of Enough Electricity [PaEN]
-- North American Electric Reliability Corp Report: Electric Power Resource Adequacy Risks Intensify Across North America As Data Center-Driven Demand Surges 24% In 10 Years [PaEN]
-- New Legislation Announced To Strengthen Spill Response Law In PA After Energy Transfer/Sunoco Jet Fuel Pipeline Rupture In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County [PaEN]
-- DCED Now Accepting Applications For PA Solar For Schools Grants [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Williamsport Sun: DEP Conducts Follow-Up Inspection Of Closed Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Facility In Williamsport [PDF of Article]
-- Courier Times: Cong. Fitzpatrick, Officials Still Seek Answers To Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Rupture In Upper Makefield Twp. Bucks County A Year Later [PDF of Article]
-- Republican Herald: House Passes Legislation To Address Natural Gas Safety After Fatal Reading Chocolate Factory Blast Killed 7 People [PDF of Article]
-- WNEP: Homes Evacuated After Natural Gas Pipeline Hit In Scranton
-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Can’t Accept Oil And Gas Companies’ Self-Reporting - By Chris DiGiulio, Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA
-- TribLive Guest Essay: Pennsylvania’s Energy Future Depends On Balance, Not Absolutes - We Need To Grow Renewables, Lead In Protecting Workers, Consumers, Health & Safety Of Our Communities - By Eugene Depasquale, Chair, PA Democratic Party
-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: America Needs Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas - Jim Welty, Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Winter Storm Fern Stops Nearly All Natural Gas Going To Maryland’s Cove Point, Elba Island, Georgia LNG Gas Export Facilities Fed By Appalachian States Shale Gas [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Cove Point, MD, Elba Island, Georgia, Other US LNG Gas Export Facilities IMPORTED Natural Gas From Trinidad And Tobago Due To High Prices During Cold Weather [PDF of Article]
-- Reuters: US LNG Gas Export Plants IMPORTED Cargoes During Winter Storm As Natural Gas Prices Hit Records In US
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Winter Storm Fern Freeze-Off Leads To 10-12% Drop In Shale Gas Supply [PDF of Article]
-- Reuters Commentary: When The US Freezes, LNG Natural Gas Market Prices Spike Over 70%
-- Industrial Energy Consumers Of America Urge President To Suspend Spot LNG Gas Exports To Reduce Natural Gas, Electricity Prices And Ensure Grid Reliability
-- Utility Dive: US Coal-Fired Generation Jumped 31%, Gas-Fired Generation Increased 14% During Winter Storm Fern: US EIA
-- Utility Dive: Ratepayers, Don’t Expect Electric Bill Relief In 2026: ‘The Cake Is Baked’
-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs-- 19-- First Increase In 8 Weeks
-- Bloomberg: US Natural Gas Prices Hit Three-Year High After Powerful Winter Storm Disrupts Production, Boosts Heating Demand
-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: PJM Regional Electric Grid Withstands Strain Of Freezing Weather, So Far
-- Reuters: US Energy Sector Reels After Winter Storm Knocks Out 2 Million BPD Of Crude Output
-- Reuters: Oil Prices Rise As Harsh Winter Disrupts US Output
-- AAA Average Gasoline Price: National- $2.87 Ohio- $2.72 PA- $3.07
-- Bloomberg: PJM Gets US DOE OK To Divert Data Center Power To Households
-- Utility Dive: PJM Does Not Expect To Call On Data Centers To Go To Backup Generation To Get Thru Current Cold Weather Conditions
-- Utility Dive: US DOE Expands Use Of Emergency Orders Amid Winter Freeze To Keep Power Plants Running Regardless Of Emission Limits, Require Data Centers To Use Backup Generation [PJM Highlighted]
-- Inside Climate News: A.I. Data Centers On PJM Grid Can Rely Solely On Generators During The Cold, DOE Rules
-- NYT: Grids Are Surviving The Winter Storm, But NERC Warns The Next 5 Years Could Be Rough
-- Pittsburgh Public Source: Could Pennsylvania Run Out Of Electricity Due To A.I. Data Center Demands? PJM Won’t Meet Required Power Reserves Starting June 2027
-- Spotlight PA: PJM Predicts Data Center-Driven Energy Shortfall By Mid-2027
-- UGI Gas Seeks 8.7% Increase To Base Delivery Rate
-- National Fuel Gas Requests 7.4% Increase To Base Delivery Rate
-- National Fuel Gas Increases Default Natural Gas Cost 6.55% Starting Feb. 1
-- WFMJ: National Fuel Gas Increases Natural Gas Cost 6.55% On Feb. 1
-- Independent Fiscal Office Mid-Year Revenue Update: Energy Costs Up 10.6%
-- Reuters: New PJM Rules Favor On-Site Natural Gas Power Plants Over Renewables For A.I. Data Centers
-- PA Capital-Star: Communities Must Prepare If They Want Any Say Over A.I. Data Centers, Lessons Of Springdale, Allegheny County
-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: On A.I. Data Centers, Officials Need To Read The Room [PDF of Article]
-- WHYY: Delaware Lawmakers Want To Protect Residents From A.I. Data Center-Driven Electricity Rate Hikes
-- The Allegheny Front: Fracking Produces A Lot Of Wastewater, Millions Of Gallons Are Stored Under Eastern Ohio Thru Injection Wells
[Posted: January 27, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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