The Guidance recommends companies using trenchless construction techniques follow a process for planning their projects involving a site suitability and feasibility/alternatives analysis, detail risk evaluation and emergency response planning.
The Guidance was developed as a result of a settlement of litigation with the Clean Air Council, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, and Mountain Watershed Association related to DEP’s permits issued for the Mariner East Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline Project.
The construction of the Mariner East Pipeline across Pennsylvania resulted in Sunoco/Energy Transfer Partners being convicted of criminal charges for environmental violations and resulted in an additional $31 million in penalties. Read more here.
Impacts from Mariner East Pipeline construction include contamination of private water supplies and a major spill into the lake at Marsh Creek State Park in Chester County. Read more here.
The featured presenters for the webinar include Christine Vinciguerra, P.G. and Andrew McDonald, Water Program Specialist with DEP.
Click Here to register and for more information. The webinar will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Visit DEP’s Trenchless Technology Resources webpage for more information on preventing problems with this technology.
Releases In 2025
“Inadvertent” releases of drilling mud and other contaminants from horizontal pipeline drilling related to shale gas development continued to be a big issue in 2025.
In a series of 18 incidents from October 2025 to January 2026, MarkWest Liberty Midstream reported the loss of 1,241,500 gallons of drilling fluids into abandoned mine voids under Mount Pleasant and Robinson Townships in Washington County. Read more here.
Blackhill Energy LLC had a series of inadvertent returns during a pipeline construction project in West Burlington Township, Bradford County. Read more here.
EQM Gathering Pipeline also had at least four releases and overflowing drilling mud tanks during pipeline construction in Nottingham Township, Washington County. Read more here.
Seneca Resources Co. LLC had a drilling fluid release during pipeline construction in Richmond Township, Tioga County. Read more here.
It isn’t known whether any of these companies were following the careful steps outline in the Trenchless Pipeline Construction Guidance.
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.
Related Articles This Week:
-- 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: 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: 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.
-- DEP Eliminates Longstanding Permitting Backlog In 2025, Launches New Bureau of Permitting Coordination [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Williamsport Sun: DEP Conducts Follow-Up Inspection Of Closed Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Facility In Williamsport [PDF of Article]
-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Can’t Accept Oil And Gas Companies’ Self-Reporting - By Chris DiGiulio, Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA
-- UGI Gas Seeks 8.7% Increase To Base Delivery Rate
-- National Fuel Gas Requests 7.4% Increase To Base Delivery Rate
-- Independent Fiscal Office Mid-Year Revenue Update: Energy Costs Up 10.6%
-- 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: Winter Storm Fern Freeze-Off Leads To 10-12% Drop In Shale Gas Supply [PDF of Article]
-- Reuters: New PJM Rules Favor On-Site Natural Gas Power Plants Over Renewables For A.I. Data Centers
-- Reuters Commentary: When The US Freezes, LNG Natural Gas Market Prices Spike Over 70%
-- 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
-- The Allegheny Front: Fracking Produces A Lot Of Wastewater, Millions Of Gallons Are Stored Under Eastern Ohio Thru Injection Wells
-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: America Needs Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas - Jim Welty, Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition
-- 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
[Posted: January 29, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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