PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board Meets Sept. 16 To Hear Updates On New Methane Control Regulations; Federal Well Plugging Program; Other Issues

The DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board is scheduled to meet on September 16 to hear updates on a variety of program issues, including--

-- Development of new oil and gas methane reduction regulations - Federal 0000c Rules. Read more here.

-- Provisions In Fiscal Code Bill related to Attainable Bottom, Utica Shale Waiver Read more here.

-- Federal Conventional Well Plugging Program

-- Well Plugging Subcommittee Update

-- Draft SOP on Annular Gas Outside Well Casing

-- New Business Discussion With Seth Pelepki, Deputy For Oil & Gas Management

Click Here for the entire agenda.

Public Comments

Individuals interested in providing comments at the meeting should notify Todd Wallace at twallace@pa.gov or 717-783-6395 no later than 24 hours before the meeting.

Public comment should relate directly to a topic that is included on the meeting agenda and each commenter will be allowed up to three minutes to provide verbal comment to the board.

Join The Meeting

The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg from 10:00 a.m. to Noon.

Click Here to join the meeting online.

Visit the DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board webpage for available handouts and more information. Questions should be directed to: Todd Wallace at twallace@pa.gov or 717-783-6395.

Resource Links:

-- New State Budget Forces DEP To Take Money From 7 Other Environmental Programs To Keep The Oil & Gas Regulatory Program Running [PaEN]

-- State Budget Brief: DEP Oil & Gas Program Enforcement & Permitting Staff Has Been Frozen For Last 10 Years, Meanwhile Drilled Shale Gas Wells Increased By Nearly 50% [PaEN]

-- Governor's Budget Office Takes $138.5 Million From Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee, Marcellus Legacy Fund, Farmland Preservation Fund, Underground Storage Tank Insurance Fund To Balance State Budget [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Snapshot - September 5 to 11

-- DEP: Tank Valve Failure Leads To 4,610 Gallon Spill Of Contaminated Water At XTO Energy Inc. Shale Gas Well Pad In Butler County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Contaminated Water Misting Out Of Storage Tank, Fluid Spill At Expand Operating, LLC Shale Gas Well Pad In Bradford County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Thick Orange Fluid Leaking From Storage Tank At Conventional Gas & Gas Well Site In Monroeville, Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Complaint Investigation Finds Conventional Well Venting Gas In A Manner Posing A Safety Risk To Nearby Residence In Mercer County [PaEN]

-- DEP Finds Conventional Well Venting Gas During Investigation Of Leaking Conventional Gas Gathering Line In Unity Twp., Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Drill Cuttings From Conventional Oil & Gas Well Improperly Spread Over Drill Site For Disposal In McKean County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 106: Ows Energy Inc. Failed To Cleanup Soil Contaminated By Water From Conventional Gas Well In Crawford County [PaEN]