DEP: Wilmoth Interests Inc. Improperly Disposed Of Oil-Contaminated Soil From A Spill At An Allegheny National Forest Conventional Well Site In Warren County

On August 27, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection posted an inspection report saying Wilmoth Interests Inc. improperly disposed of oil-contaminated soil from a spill at a conventional well site it owned in the Allegheny National Forest in  Sheffield Township, Warren County.

DEP said a production equipment malfunction at Wilmoth’s Allegheny National Forest 194 49 conventional well in Sheffield Township on October 23, 2025 sprayed crude oil and contaminated water 200 feet in every direction resulting in contamination of the soil on the pad and downslope areas from the well.  

DEP inspection report + photos.

DEP’s August 27 report said it received a report from Wilmoth’s consultant on July 10, 2026 that documented the fact approximately 7.5 tons of contaminated soil from the ANF 194 49 well site spill was disposed of at another Wilmoth conventional well site-- ANF 172 56-- also in Sheffield Township in violation of DEP regulations.

DEP said residual waste may not be disposed of at a different well location than from where it was generated.

The ANF 172 56 well was SPUD [drilled] on August 27, 2025 and a fracking completion report was received on May 11, 2026. DEP inspected the site several times during its development.

DEP said to resolve the violation “all residual waste disposed of in the pit located at the ANF 172 56 well location must be removed and disposed of at an authorized facility.”

A violation was issued and DEP requested a response by September 14. 

Click Here for the August 27 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: Contamination at the ANF 194 49 conventional well site in 2025; The ANF 172 56 well site.)

[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.]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP: An Estimated 336,000 Gallons Of Fracking Flowback Water Was Released During An Uncontrolled Shale Gas Well Incident At The INR OPR LLC Cooper Well Pad In Young Twp., Indiana County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP - Day 1,331: Big Dog Energy LLC Shale Gas Well Pad Lacks Secondary Containment To Contain Spills, Has No Emergency Response Plan In Westmoreland County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Contaminated Reuse Water Used In Fracking Overtopped Containment; Tank Truck Carrying Contaminated Water Rolls Over At Range Resources Appalachia Shale Gas Well Pad In Lycoming County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP - Day 2,447: American Natural Resources LLC Fails To Comply, Does Not Respond To Order To Plug 6 Conventional Wells It Abandoned In Allegheny County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP - Day 221: HR McClure Fails To Plug 3 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells It Abandoned  In Greene County; Failing To Submit Production, Waste, Well Integrity Reports For 5 Years  [PaEN] 

-- DEP - Day 545: Oil & Gas MGMT Inc Failed To Finish Cleanup Of Conventional Oil Well Spills Or Respond To DEP Violations In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]   

-- DEP: Wilmoth Interests Inc. Improperly Disposed Of Oil-Contaminated Soil From A Spill At An Allegheny National Forest Conventional Well Site In Warren County  [PaEN] 

-- Organizations Defend Delaware River Basin Commission Shale Gas Fracking Ban  [PaEN] 

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports 2nd Quarter PA Natural Gas Production Declines Slightly Again; Price Of Natural Gas For Residential Customers Increased By 7.3% From Prior Year  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: NextEra Energy Picks 700 Acre Site In Luzerne Twp.,  Fayette County For 3.75 GW Natural Gas Data Center Power Plant Complex  [Entire Township Over Known Mined Out Coal Mines Subject To Subsidence Risk (DEP)]

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-- Scranton Times: PPL Utilities Joint Venture Purchases 500 Acres In Luzerne County For 2 Natural Gas Data Center Power Plants; No Agreements Signed With Customers Yet [Not For The Public]  

--  Financial Times: The Missing Piece Of The US Oil And Gas Boom - Jobs; Production And Profits Are Rising Strongly, Employment Has Fallen

[Posted: September 3, 2026]  PA Environment Digest