PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP - Day 71: Violations Continue At John D. Branch Conventional Well Site For Failing To Have Adequate Spill Containment Around Tanks Holding 42,000 Gallons On Contaminated Water In Warren County

On October 2, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection did a follow-up inspection of the John D. Branch Brown 1 conventional gas wells site in Pleasant Township, Warren County and found the owner still fails to comply with secondary containment regulations around two storage tanks holding 42,000 gallons of contaminated water from conventional oil and gas wells.

DEP issued the original violations for this infraction on July 23, 2026. Read more here.

The DEP’s July 23 report on the complaint inspection then said-- “The small upper containment directly around the stock tanks is constructed with a dirt and gravel base and walls, and includes a drain pipe that is directed into a second containment downslope of the upper containment.”

The October 2 inspection report noted “some clay material was added” to containment around the tanks, “however the clay is mixed with gravel, is patchy and was inconsistently applied” and fails to meet the regulations.

One photo with the inspection report also shows a drain pipe leading away from the secondary containment area.

Previous violations were continued and a response was requested by October 27.

Click Here for the DEP inspection report + photos.

Prior Contaminated Water Release

On September 29, 2025, DEP inspected the newly drilled and fracked Brown 1 conventional gas well and found a hose was being used to drain contaminated water from a storage tank battery to water a freshly seeded and mulched area of the well site.

Excess contaminated water then ran about 35 feet across the well site to a ditch that connected to a storm sewer along Crestview Boulevard. DEP’s inspector said he saw flowing water in the storm sewer at the bottom of Crestview.

A field conductivity test by the inspector found the contaminated water was 16 times the allowable limit and “was not suitable to be dispersed to the ground.”

Click Here to read more.

On July 21, 2025, DEP’s Environmental Cleanup Program approved a final report on the cleanup of this spill at the Brown 1 conventional well site

Prior Brown 1 Drilling Violations

Branch started drilling the well on September 3, 2025 and completed drilling and fracking the well on or about September 26, according to DEP inspection reports.

On September 4, 2025, DEP issued a notice of violation to this same Brown 1 conventional well for failing to comply with a special condition in the permit to obtain all necessary local/municipal approvals for the well prior to drilling.

DEP requested a formal response from the well owner by September 19, but no written response was included in inspection reports before or after that deadline.

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 Snapshot - October 10 to 16 [PaEN]

-- DEP: Investigation Of A ‘Frac Hit’ Between 3 Seneca Resources Co Shale Gas Well Pads In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County Leads To Contaminated Water Spill [PaEN]

-- WHYY: Federal Pipeline Regulatory Agency Says Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipelines Have A ‘System-Wide Risk” Of Leaks Similar To The One Discovered In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 57: More Water Seeps Break Out From INR OPR LLC Cooper Shale Gas Well Pad Possibly Related To Broken Pad Drainage System In Indiana County, Site Of 336,000 Gallon Frack Water Spill [PaEN]

-- DEP: Routine Inspection Finds Overflowing Contaminated Water Tank At Penn View Exploration Conventional Oil & Gas Well In Clearfield County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 71: Violations Continue At John D. Branch Conventional Well Site For Failing To Have Adequate Spill Containment Around Tanks Holding 42,000 Gallons On Contaminated Water In Warren County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Ruptured Underground Gathering Line Releases Crude Oil Near Bull Run Resources Conventional Well In Warren County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 82: McGuffie Oil Co Inc. Abandoned Conventional Gas Well Still Venting Gas, Creating A Hazard To Health, Safety In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 1,916: Monitoring Of Casing/Cement Failure Continues At Expand Operating Lucarino Shale Gas Well Pad In Bradford County [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - October 17 [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Chapter 105 Permit For A Seneca Resources Co 16-Inch Shale Gas Water Pipeline Running Through Farmington & Chatham Townships, Tioga County [PaEN]