PA Environment Digest Blog: PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - June 27 to July 3: Shale Gas Driller Fails To Notify DEP Of Casing/Cement Failures; Pipeline Spill At Water Impoundment; 313 Conventional Abandoned Well Violations

From June 27 to July 3, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 654 inspection entries, plus previous reports just posted this week.

Follow these links to spreadsheets showing the violations and inspections occurring between June 27 to July 3--

Click Here for violations issued. Click Here for inspection entries.

[Note: There were many more violations issued by DEP than PA Environment Digest can highlight here.]

Enforcement Actions Taken Last Week

So far this year, DEP took these actions as of June 26--

-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 27 conventional, 10 unconventional

-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 2,922 conventional and 581 unconventional

-- Enforcements 2025: 258 conventional and 96 unconventional (orders, agreements)

-- Inspections Last Week: 314 conventional and 305 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Inspections: 10,087 conventional and 13,168 unconventional

Equitrans Shale Gas Wastewater Spill At Water Impoundment

On June 25 and June 29, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection conducted incident inspections in response to a notification on June 17, 2026 by Equitrans Water SVC (PA) LLC [EQT] of a release of wastewater from a pipeline connected to its Richter Shale Gas Water Impoundment during reclamation of the site in Aleppo Township, Greene County.

The initial inspection on June 25 found EQT was actively working to clean up contaminated soil from the release at multiple locations and defined the basic outline of what happened.

The second inspection on June 29 found additional areas of contamination and assessed cleanup measures, including containment of contaminated fluids.

The observations included DEP finding drainage pipes being constructed along a sediment pond and an access point held together with what “appears [to be] duct tape.” Read more here.

Seneca Resources Did Not Notify DEP Of Casing/Cementing Failures For 15 Years

On June 18, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection issued violations to Seneca Resources Co LLC for failing to notify DEP of casing/cementing failures and for the failures themselves in six shale gas wells at the Erickson well pad in Delmar Township, Tioga County .

DEP inspection reports said prior samples since May and June 2011 confirmed the presence of combustible gas in well annular spaces of well 1H, well 2H, well 3H, well 4H, well 5H and well 6H which “is a violation of the Department’s regulations.”

The wells were drilled in September 2010. Read more here.

3 Abandoned Conventional Well Violations

Allegheny County - EQT Prod Co.

June 25, 2026 inspection of the FA Snider F 13 conventional well in Whitehall Borough found the well abandoned, not plugged. Response requested by July 16. DEP inspection report. EQT Prod owns 107 abandoned oil & gas wells-- 108 now.

Cambria County - Apollo Resources LLC [259 Days]

June 15, 2026 inspection of the County of Cambria (Yahner) conventional well in Clearfield Township found the well abandoned, not plugged. Original violations issued Sept. 29, 2025. No response to violations by owner. Violations continued. Response requested by July 14. DEP inspection report.

Erie County - Beverly J. Hopkins

July 1, 2026 inspection of the Beverly J. Hopkins 1 conventional well in Millcreek Township found the well abandoned and not plugged. Owner failed to submit annual production, waste generation and well integrity reports. No record of well being inspected. Violations issued. Response requested by August 30. DEP inspection report.

313 Violations For Conventional Abandoned Wells In 2026

So far in 2026, DEP issued or continued 313 notices of violation for conventional oil and gas well abandonment.

Federal Conventional Well Plugging Program

53 - Abandoned Well Inspections

DEP inspected 53 abandoned conventional wells in Butler, Clarion, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Jefferson, McKean, Venango, Warren counties to monitor ongoing plugging operations and evaluate the wells for future plugging.

8 - Unknown Owner Inspections

DEP inspected 8 conventional oil and gas wells with Unknown Owners in Butler, Potter and Washington counties and found them abandoned and not plugged.

Conventional Well Spills, Releases, Gas Leaks

Clearfield County - Diversified Prod LLC

June 24, 2026 inspection of the David Ecklund 1 conventional well in Jordan Township found the well was still leaking gas into the ground outside of the casing indicating a casing or cementing failure. Original leak discovered June 9. New violation issued for the gas leak. The owner has elected to plug the well at some point and monitor the leaking gas. DEP inspection report.

Erie County - Pin Oak Energy Partners LLC [44 Days]

June 11, 2026 follow-up inspection of the Gallegher 1 conventional well in Waterford Township found the owner failed to clean up contaminated groundwater from the well released at the site. Fresh hay was found scattered over areas of contamination, but field testing under the hay found elevated levels of conductivity that “went over the limit of the reader.” Violations originally issued April 1 & 28, 2026 were continued. DEP inspection report forwarded to the owner.

Erie County - Norman G. Troyer

June 11, 2026 inspection of the Gary Silvia & Norman Troyer 2 conventional well in Union Township discovered a portion of the well site contaminated with crude oil and possibly some contaminated groundwater from the well. Violations were issued. A copy of the DEP inspection report was sent to the owner.

Fayette County - Apollo Resources LLC [181 Days]

June 18, 2026 follow-up inspection of the State Game Lands 51B 3 conventional gas well in Dunbar Township found the owner failed to complete the restoration of the well site and containment around the contaminated groundwater storage tank is nearly full. Gas leak has been repaired. Original violations issued Dec. 19, 2025. Violations continued. Response requested by July 9. DEP inspection report.

Greene County - BB Mulvaney [755 Days]

June 11, 2026 compliance review of the Wilford M. Chambers 1 conventional gas well in Richhill Township found the owner continues to fail to comply with May 17, 2024 order to fix leaking gas hazard at the well and other violations issued on May 8, 2024. Owner said gas from well is used by the property owner. No response requested from owner. DEP inspection report.

2026 Act 2 Oil & Gas Facility Pollution Cleanups

So far in 2026, DEP received or acted on 108 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups-- almost all from shale gas facility spills/releases. Read more here.

Natural Gas Processing Plant Flaring

Washington County - MarkWest + Energy Transfer

July 3, 2026 - 'Emergency Flares' At MarkWest Harmon Creek, Energy Transfer Revolutions Natural Gas Processing Plants Burn Brightly Near Midnight On Project Breathe Cameras. 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.

[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:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - June 27 to July 3: Shale Gas Driller Fails To Notify DEP Of Casing/Cement Failures; Pipeline Spill At Water Impoundment; 313 Conventional Abandoned Well Violations [PaEN]

-- DEP: Equitrans Water SVC Reports Wastewater Release From Pipeline Connected To Richter Shale Gas Water Impoundment During Reclamation In Aleppo Twp., Greene County; Drainage Pipes Held Together By Duct Tape [PaEN]

-- DEP: Seneca Resources Failed To Notify DEP Of Casing/Cementing Failures In 6 Shale Gas Wells For 15 Years In Delmar Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 4 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 49 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 4 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of Title V Air Quality Permit For Keystone Coal-Fired Power Plant In Armstrong County [PaEN] https://tinyurl.com/23un2465

-- DEP Issues 2 Chapter 105 Permits For Project Hazelnut A.I. Data Centers Offsite Utilities In West Hazleton Borough, Luzerne County [PaEN]

-- PUC Invites Comments On Potential Regulations For Interconnecting Electric Loads, Including Large Loads, Like Data Centers [PaEN]

-- DEP/Agriculture Invite Comments On Updated Safeguards To Prevent PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' In Wastewater Biosolids From Polluting Groundwater [PaEN]