The well owner said “the gathering line failed due to valves on the gathering lines at the tank battery unknowingly being closed by a suspected, unknown, third party prior to the lease being pumped on the afternoon of 7/8/26. It is estimated that the wells on the lease were pumping for 2-3 hours before the well tender drove towards this well and noticed the release at approximately 15:00.”
DEP found “crude oil had sprayed onto the road bank and lower limbs of nearby trees.”
“The majority of the crude oil migrated west/ northwest in a roadside ditch alongside Chappel Fork Road for approximately 400 [feet] before reaching a spring run that evolves into an unnamed tributary (UNT) of Chappel Fork [Creek].”
“Pockets of crude oil were observed in the spring run/UNT between where it intersects Chappel Fork Road and its confluence with Chappel Fork. Crude oil was also present in an approximate 750' stretch of Chappel Fork [a High Quality stream] downslope of the stream's confluence with the aforementioned spring run/UNT.”
“At the time of the inspection, "underflow dams, absorbent booms and pads have been placed throughout the impacted portions of the roadside ditch, spring run/UNT and Chappel Fork to contain the released product.
“Crews were in the process of recovering crude that was collecting behind the various containment measures and replacing saturated absorbents as needed.”
“After further progress is made with recovering the free crude, Chuck intends to excavate the contaminated soil at the origin of the release and replace the ruptured portion of the gathering line.”
“Upcoming inspections will be done throughout the remediation of this release to ensure suitable progress is being made.”
Multiple violations were issued and DEP requested a written response by July 31. DEP inspection report.
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: Site of pipeline rupture, crude oil spray on vegetation; Following path of the release; Contaminated Cappel Fork Creek with underflow dams, absorbent pads, booms.)
[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 Dashboard
-- DEP: Equitrans Water SVC LLC [EQT] Suffers Another Contaminated Water Release From Buried Shale Gas Wastewater Pipeline In Aleppo Twp., Greene County [PaEN]
-- DEP: INR Midstream LLC Failed To Prevent Accelerated Erosion, Sedimentation Along Cooper To Jost Van Dyke Gas & Water Pipelines Construction Right-Of-Way In Young Twp., Indiana County [PaEN]
-- DEP: Contaminated Water Storage Tank At Abandoned Conventional Oil Well Site Sat Broken Open For Nearly 3 Years With No Response From Owner In Clover Twp., Jefferson County [PaEN]
-- DEP: Raymond D. Langer Fails To Clean Up Contaminated Water Spills, Address Other Violations, Comply With DEP Order For 1,283 Days [PaEN]
-- DEP: Crude Oil Gathering Pipeline Failure In Conventional Oil Well Field Contaminated 750 Feet Of Chappel Fork Creek In Hamilton Twp., McKean County [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 25 [PaEN]
-- DEP To Adopt Regulations Limiting Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas, Shale Gas Infrastructure; Will Outline Approach At Aug. 6 Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee Meeting [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For Appalachia Midstream Services Natural Gas Pipeline In Elkland Twp., Sullivan County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On MarkWest Liberty Midstream Project To Daylight 4 Natural Gas Pipelines To Prevent Damage From Longwall Coal Mining In West Finley Twp., Allegheny County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Eastern Gas Transmission & Storage Daylighting Project For 30-Inch Natural Gas Pipeline To Prevent Longwall Coal Mining Damage In Greene County [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 21 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In June; 188 In 2026 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 54 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 25 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- Governor’s Office Published Regulatory Agenda, DEP Published Non-Regulatory (Technical Guidance) Agenda To Provide Opportunities For Public Involvement [PaEN]
-- Appalachian Transmission Company (FirstEnergy) - Milesburg 230KV Transmission Line Upgrade Project: DEP invites comments on Individual Stormwater Permit for a transmission line upgrade project located in Mifflinburg Borough, Centre County. (PA Bulletin, page 4412) Read more here.
-- Constellation Energy Generation LLC - Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant: DEP issued storage tank permits for two aboveground tanks-- 200,000 gallons and 50,000 gallon-- at the facility located in Londonderry Twp., Dauphin County. (PA Bulletin, page 4446)
Related Articles This Week:
-- DEP To Adopt Regulations Limiting Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas, Shale Gas Infrastructure; Will Outline Approach At Aug. 6 Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee Meeting [PaEN]
-- The Conversation: Pennsylvania Roads Are Being Coated In Radioactive Oil & Gas Wastewater - New DEP Well Permit Allows Uncontrolled Use [PaEN]
-- Penn State Geography Researchers Want Your Help To Develop Tool To Help Public Better Identify Threats To Health, Environment From Oil & Gas Development [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Spotlight PA: Josh Shapiro Built National Fame On Getting Things Done, But His Full Record Is Complex
-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Gov. Shapiro Walks A Fine Line On Climate; His Opponent Just Wants To Drill For Shale Gas
-- Sen. Yaw: Bill Signed Into Law To Ensure Responsible Solar Development [No Provisions Like This In Place For Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants, A.I. Data Centers, Natural Gas Processing Plants, Pipelines, Compressor Stations And Other Infrastructure Presenting Real Hazards]
-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas Power Generation Decreased 4% In 2025; Coal-Fired Power Plant Generation Increased 13%; Wind & Solar Generation Increased 3% and 34%
-- EQT Natural Gas Releases 2025 Sustainability Report: ‘Built For What’s Next’
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Natural Gas Hits Net-Zero Emissions For 2nd Straight Year For Natural Gas Production
-- Financial Times: Oil Hits $100 For First Time Since May
[Posted: July 22, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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