PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP - Day 632: Seneca Resources Installs Trench, Concrete Catch Basin To Collect Continuing Releases Of Contaminated Water From The Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County

On July 17, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection did an inspection of the Seneca Resources Taft shale gas well pad in response to a notification that additional measures were installed to collect and allow for cleanup of contaminated water coming from the pad in Middlebury Township, Tioga County.

DEP observed a trench had been recently dug along the north side of the pad with contaminated water flowing into a new cement catch basin.

Conductivity field measurements of liquid in the trench indicated contaminated water.

A vac truck was staged on site with a hose end located in the catch basin to remove the accumulating liquids.

No liquids were flowing into the sediment basin at the pad, but field conductivity measurements at the northeast overflow indicated contaminated water and DEP collected a sample of the water.

"The 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."

These violations have now been continued for 632 days.

DEP did not request a written follow-up from Seneca.

Click Here for DEP inspection results + photos.

Original Incident

Violations for the wastewater releases at the Taft site were originally issued on October 23, 2024.

DEP found similar conditions-- spills, crews trying to clean up the pad while drilling and fracking new shale gas wells continues-- starting October 23, 2024, then on July 11, 2025, August 21, 2025, October 2, 2025, October 31, 2025, December 23, 2025, January 21, 2026, April 21, 2026 and June 23, 2026.

Casing/Cementing Failure

A July 27, 2026 inspection of the 75HU Utica shale gas well at this same Taft shale gas well pad found evidence of continuing casing/cementing failure originally discovered on Nov. 13, 2024.

The violation was continued and so will the monitoring.

DEP inspection report.

Criminal Charges

On October 31, 2025, 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: Row 1-- Cement catch basin; new contaminated water collection trench; Row 2-- New trench; Taking water sample at sediment basin overflow; Field conductivity test in sediment basin.)

[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 - Day 632: Seneca Resources Installs Trench, Concrete Catch Basin To Collect Continuing Releases Of Contaminated Water From The Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Day 609 - Sample Results Confirm Continued Wastewater Releases At Seneca Resources Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Day 587 And Counting: Seneca Resources Continues To Release Wastewater, Frack New Shale Gas Wells At Taft Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Day 545 And Counting: Seneca Resources Continues To Release Wastewater, Frack New Shale Gas Wells At Taft Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Seneca Resources Still Experiencing Spills, Releases While New Well Development Continues At Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County For 426 Days And Counting [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]

-- DEP: Day 155 - Contaminated Water Still Flowing From Seneca Resources Vandergrift Shale Gas Wells, Well Pad; Cleanup Continues In Charleston Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Seneca Resources Ignores NOVs On DCNR Shale Gas Well Pad Cleanup For 7 Months & Counting; Citizen Complaint Finds Homeowner Well Venting Gas; Multiple Tanker Truck Spills [PaEN]

-- Citizen Complaint, Company Report Results In DEP Inspection Finding 63,000 Gallon Wastewater Spill At Seneca Resources Shale Gas Well On State Game Lands In Elk County; More Leaks, Spills [PaEN]

-- Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group Asks DCNR To Protect State Forest Land From Seneca Shale Gas Drilling Well Pad, Comply With PA Supreme Court Decision, Protect Recreation, Wildlife [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Snapshot - Aug. 8 to 14

-- DEP - Day 632: Seneca Resources Installs Trench, Concrete Catch Basin To Collect Continuing Releases Of Contaminated Water From The Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- DEP Nucomer Energy LLC Making Progress Reclaiming Shale Gas Water Impoundment In Forest County Nearly 14 Years After It Was No Longer In Use, 981 Days After A DEP Order Requiring Restoration [PaEN]

-- DEP Evaluating 37 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Venango County For Plugging As A Result Of Owner’s Death [PaEN]

-- DEP: Keystone Crude LLC Making Progress On Spills, Releases At 3 Conventional Gas Well Sites In Allegheny County Dating Back To 2024 [PaEN]

-- DEP: Trinity Mineral Partners Report Release Of Contaminated Water From Conventional Oil & Gas Wells From A 44,100 Gallon Battery Of 5 Storage Tanks In Warren County; Inspection Of 2nd Trinity Spill Site Shows No Cleanup Progress [PaEN]

-- Allegheny County - D & B Gas Production LLC - Conventional Well Compressor Leak: August 10, 2026 routine inspection of the Springdale Boro 1 conventional well in Springdale Township found gas was leaking from a compressor onsite. Violation issued, response requested by Aug. 28. DEP inspection report.

-- Elk County - Pin Oak Energy Partners LLC - Improperly Abandoned Gas Pipeline [297 Days] August 7, 2026 follow-up inspection of an abandoned conventional gas gathering line crossing Pine Run stream in Ridgway Township found the pipeline needs to be capped to prevent the stream from entering and discarded pipeline needs to be removed. Original violations Oct. 14, 2025. Violations continued. DEP inspection report.

-- Tioga County - Seneca Resources Co LLC - Shale Gas Casing/Cement Failure [621 Days] July 27, 2026 inspection of the Taft 75HU Utica shale gas well in Middlebury Township for casing/cementing failure found gas still present. Original violation Nov. 13, 2024, violation continued. DEP inspection report. This same pad has continuing wastewater releases

-- Washington County - EQT Production Co. - Conventional Well Venting Gas: August 3, 2026 inspection of the Ellsworth Collieries 3256 conventional gas well in Somerset Township found the well venting gas. Violations issued. Response requested by Aug. 28. DEP inspection report.

DEP inspected 62 conventional oil and gas wells as part of federal-funded well plugging program - August 8 - 14

Click Here for Violations Issued August 8 - 14

Click Here for Inspection Reports August 8 - 14

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - August 15 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For Installation Of 86 More Backup Diesel Generators, Fuel Storage Tanks For An Expansion Of The Existing Amazon Data Center In Salem Twp., Luzerne County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Use Of Emission Credits By Invitium Energy LLC [PPL-Blackstone Joint Venture] For Proposed Shermans Dale Natural Gas Power Plant In Carroll Twp., Perry County To Feed Data Centers [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For Construction Of A Shale Gas Water Withdrawal Structure In The Susquehanna River By Expand Operating LLC In Standing Stone Twp., Bradford County [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Chapter 102 Permit For Northeast Natural Gas Supply Enhancement Project Quarryville Loop, Compressor Station 200 In Chester, Lancaster Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 58 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 15 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- Public Utility Commission Sets Oct. 29 Prehearing On Transource Pennsylvania, LLC 230kV Project 9A West Transmission Line In Franklin County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Stormwater Permit For PPL Electric Stanton Summit Transmission Line Rebuild In Lackawanna, Luzerne Counties [PaEN]