DEP arrived on the site on July 27 (Monday) to do an incident inspection, document the release and discuss remediation of the site.
The well owner said he was moving a trailer around the open well site on the evening of July 24 (Friday) and hit a three inch flange on the contaminated water storage tank that resulted in the release.
After the flange was struck, DEP said contaminated water sprayed from the tank and traveled downslope and contaminated an area about 64 feet long and 30 feet wide killing vegetation along the way.
Field measures found elevated conductivity along the path of the release.
Due to the volume of the release, DEP recommended the use of the Act 2 Land Recycling cleanup process.
DEP issued multiple violations, but no specific violation for failing to notify DEP of the release immediately.
DEP requested a written response by August 17. DEP inspection report.
Background
Apollo Resources LLC holds 1,892 conventional oil and gas well-related permits and has received multiple violations for abandoning and not plugging conventional wells.
On January 7, 2026 and again on June 15, 2026, Apollo Resources LLC was issued violations for two abandoned, unplugged conventional oil and gas wells in Derry Township, Westmoreland County. Read more here.
On September 29, 2025 inspections of 5 conventional wells owned by Apollo Resources LLC in Clearfield Township, Cambria County found the wells still abandoned and not plugged. Original violations issued January 12, 2024. Read more here.
On January 2, 2025 inspection of Apollo Resources State Game Lands Well 51B in Dunbar Borough, Fayette County found the owner failed to remove production equipment, clean up areas of wastewater discharges and leaks, and remove a “plethora” of unmarked barrels in the compressor shed. Read more here.
On September 17, 2025, a review of an Apollo Resources conventional well in Nicholson Township, Fayette County found the owner still has not fully responded to violations involving a wastewater release at the site first discovered by DEP on October 18, 2024. Original violations issued November 26, 2024, violations continued on April 8, 2025, fresh violations issued on May 21, 2025 and continued on August 13, 2025. Read more here.
On October 15, 2025, Apollo Resources was issued violations for another conventional well in Nicholson Township, Fayette County found to be venting gas through corroded casing and black residue and evidence of other spills around the well site. Read more here.
On December 10, 2024, DEP found Apollo Resources failed to comply with an order to clean up a conventional well spill in Dunbart Township, Fayette County dating back to June 22, 2023. Read more here. Read more here.
Click Here for links to 499 DEP inspection reports of Apollo Resources LLC oil and gas wells since Jan. 1, 2024 and the company’s record of violations.
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: Row 1-- Well site and flange (white circle added) the owner said he backed trailer into; Release area at tank; Row 2-- Release traveled downslope; Dead vegetation from contaminated water.)
[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:
-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Snapshot--
-- DEP: Apollo Resources Reports Release Of 3,200 Gallons Of Contaminated Water From Conventional Oil & Gas Well Storage Tank In Snow Shoe Twp., Centre County [PaEN]
-- DEP - Day 33: Equitrans Water SVC [EQT] Fails To Comply With Order To Prevent Migration Of Contaminated Water Release Offsite At Richter Shale Gas Water Impoundment In Greene County [PaEN]
-- Allegheny County - McGuffie Oil Co Inc. - Venting Gas
July 24, 2026 inspection of the Sheridan 1 conventional gas well in Penn Hills Township as a result of a complaint from the fire department found the well venting gas close to houses. Owner failed to submit annual production, waste, well integrity reports since at least 2013. No report of immediate action taken. Response requested by August 13. DEP inspection report.
-- Greene County - Richard A. Gwennap Gen. Partner - Abandoned Conventional Wells
July 23, 2026 inspection of 3 abandoned conventional oil and gas wells-- Walter Stout 1, Randolph Stauffer 1 and James Leona Smith 1-- in Washington Township found the owner failed to notify DEP of the transfer of the wells to a new owner and failed to submit annual production, waste generation, well integrity reports.
-- Greene County - Richard A. Gwennap Gen. Partner - Abandoned Wells
July 23, 2026 inspection of 3 abandoned conventional oil and gas wells-- Walter Stout 1, Randolph Stauffer 1 and James Leona Smith 1-- in Washington Township found the owner failed to notify DEP of the transfer of the wells to a new owner and failed to submit annual production, waste generation, well integrity reports.
-- Jefferson County - Stonehaven Energy MGT Co LLC [1,367 Days] - Abandoned Well
July 31, 2026 inspection of the John L. Peace 1 conventional oil and gas well in Henderson Township found the well still abandoned and not plugged since the original violation was issued on Nov. 2, 2022. No response requested of owner. DEP inspection report.
-- Jefferson County - Diversified Prod LLC - Contaminated Water Release
July 27, 2026 inspection of the James Zimmerman 1 conventional well in Pine Creek Township in response to a notification of a spill found contaminated water from a storage tank at the site had leaked into secondary containment from a hole in the bottom of the tank. Owner will be onsite next week to clean it up. DEP inspection report
-- Susquehanna County - Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC [3,229 Days] Casing/Cement Failure
July 21, 2026 administrative inspection of the Camp Comfort 7H shale gas well in Middletown Township as part of continuing well casing/cementing failure monitoring since violation first issued on Sept. 28, 2017. Response requested to violation for first time by Aug. 26. DEP inspection report.
-- Westmoreland County - Diversified Prod LLC - Venting Gas
July 21, 2026 inspection of the Paul W. Graff conventional gas well in Salem Township found efforts to plug the well in April 2026 failed and gas was still venting from the well. Violations continued for abandoning, not plugging the well and not complying with a DEP order. Response requested by August 14. DEP inspection report
-- Washington County - Frank L. Washabaugh Oil Producers [622 Days] - No Cleanup
July 28, 2026 follow-up inspection of the William M. Johnson 1 conventional oil well in Cross Creek Township found owner still has not complied with June 16, 2025 compliance order to cleanup spills at the well site and address other violations originally issued on Nov. 13, 2024. DEP inspection report sent to owner, no requests made.
-- Unknown Locations - PA General Energy Co. LLC - Failed To Report
DEP issued violation(s) to PA General Energy Co. LLC on July 20, 2026 for failure to submit monthly shale gas production and waste generation reports for one or more wells (not online), corrected. DEP Compliance Data.
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - August 1 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Eastern Gas Transmission & Storage Ellisburg Natural Gas Storage And Compressor Station In Potter County [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Chapter 105 Permit For 3.6 Mile EQT ARO LLC Aboveground Shale Gas Water Pipeline In Lycoming County [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 71 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 1 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permit For Fill, Utility Lines Related To Aligned Data Centers Project, Shippingport Boro & Raccoon Twp., Beaver County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permits For A Consol Coal Company Pipeline To Dispose Of Coal Refuse Disposal Area Sediment Pond Overflow Into Underground Mine Workings In Washington County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of Natural Soil Products Biosolids Composting Permit For Facility In Frailey Twp., Schuylkill County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Hazardous Sites Cleanup Consent Order With Chevron USA For A Site In Springdale Boro. Allegheny County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Revised Hazardous Sites Cleanup Plan For The Keystone Metals Reduction Site In Cheswick Boro, Allegheny County [PaEN]
-- DEP To Hold Sept. 16 Hearing On RACT Title V Air Quality Permit For Hercules Cement Plant In Stockertown Boro, Northampton County [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Center For Coalfield Justice Hosts In-Person Aug. 5 Shale Gas Fracking And Public Health 101 - The People's Cancer Incidence Screening Tool In Washington County [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - August 3 [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: More A.I. Data Centers Will Mean More Shale Gas Fracking In PA; These Advocates Want Better Health, Environmental Protections For Citizens
-- WESA: PA DEP Says Landfill Leachate From Oil/Gas Wastes Poses No Health Risk; Environmentalists Aren’t So Sure [DEP Said Its Results Were Based On ‘Limited’ Data, More Analysis Is Warranted ]
-- Phys.org: Pennsylvania Roads Are Being Coated In Radioactive Oil & Gas Wastewater - Here’s Why - By William Burgos, Nathaniel Warner, Penn State University, The Conversation
-- Courier Times: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Jet Fuel Pipeline Leak Leaves Lingering Effects For Some In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County
-- Observer-Reporter: DEP To Develop New Methane Rules For Oil & Gas Operations
-- Scranton Times: PPL Corp, Blackstone Spend $40.4 Million To Purchase 500 Acres In Jenkins, Plains, Salem Twps. On Possible A.I. Data Center Power Plants In Luzerne County
-- Observer-Reporter: Center For Coalfield Justice To Hold Aug. 5 Shale Gas Fracking And Public Health 101 Event
-- Americans-Dream.com: EQT Natural Gas & Toby Rice Should Have A Heart And Pave West Pike Run Twp. Road In Washington County, Parents Fear For Disabled Son’s Safety
-- Observer-Reporter: DEP, Washington Conservation District Visit West Pike Run Twp. To Inspect Road Deteriorating Under The Impact Of Heavy Shale Gas Development Truck Traffic
-- Observer-Reporter: DEP To Develop New Methane Rules For Oil & Gas Operations
-- Scranton Times: PPL Corp, Blackstone Spend $40.4 Million To Purchase 500 Acres In Jenkins, Plains, Salem Twps. On Possible A.I. Data Center Power Plants In Luzerne County
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shell Petrochemical Plant Delivers Record Performance In 2nd Quarter
-- Ohio River Valley Institute: Shell Petrochemical Plant Bad Deal For Beaver County; Violated Air Pollution Limits Every Month Since It Began Operations
-- Wall Street Journal: Tanker Ships Are Being Blown Out Of The Water; See How Mideast Strikes Are Piling Up
-- Reuters Guest Essay: US Is Fueling Chinese Factories It’s Competing With - LNG Natural Gas, Ethane [Both Are Produced In PA]
-- Financial Times: Chevron, Exxon Earnings Soar As President Threatens Price Interventions
-- Bloomberg: Big Oil, Natural Gas Making Big Money During Iran War Market Turmoil
[Posted: July 28, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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