DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For A MarkWest Liberty 4.5 Mile, 20-Inch Natural Gas Pipeline In Allegheny, Washington Counties Impacting Montour Trail Property

The Department of Environmental Protection invites comments on a proposed MarkWest Liberty Midstream & Resources, LLC 4.5 mile, 20-inch natural gas pipeline running through North Fayette Township, Allegheny County and Robinson Township, Washington County and impacting the Montour Trail.  (PA Bulletin, page 2535)

The proposed 24,000 foot pipeline will be constructed in a 100 foot right-of-way and disturb a total of 56 acres.

DEP said there will be permanent and temporary impacts to North Branch Robinson Run and floodway and an unnamed tributary.

One of the proposed stream crossings is located on a property containing part of the Montour Trail, an eligible historic district.

Proposed project impacts include temporary access road installation, clearing and grubbing within the right-of-way, open trenching, boring, construction of the permanent surface site and associated stormwater management BMPs, and site restoration.

Comments are due within 30 days of the notice.  A hearing or informal conference may be requested.

Read the entire PA Bulletin notice for more information.  (PA Bulletin, page 2535)

Information on how to review the permit application, submit comments and other questions should be sent to D.J. Stevenson at 412-442-4281 or by email to: RA-EPSW-OGSUBMISSION@pa.gov. 

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website.  Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

Related Articles This Week:

-- Criminal Convictions; Record Penalties, Restitution Of Over $158.3 Million Highlight Big Shale Gas, Related Petrochemical Industry Compliance History In Pennsylvania  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Reports 575 Water Supply/Stray Gas Complaints About Oil & Gas Operations In Last 2 Years; Investigation Can Take A Year, Sometimes 2-3 To Find Those Responsible [PaEN]

-- Daily Grind Living Next To Oil & Gas Industry: Spills, Polluted Water Supplies, Smells Like Gas, Noise, Air Pollution, Explosions, Truck Traffic, Erosion, Radioactive Waste, Gas Flares, Dust, Lights, Road Dumping Waste, Abandoned Wells  [PaEN]  

-- DEP To Recommend Environmental Quality Board Accept A Petition For Study To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells At April 8 Meeting  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Soliciting Bids On 3rd Conventional Abandoned Oil & Gas Well Plugging Contract For 19 Wells In Clarion, Jefferson Counties At Taxpayer Expense  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: US Interior Dept. Withdraws Orphan Oil & Gas Well Regulatory Improvement Grant Program To Help Prevent Future Well Abandonments, A Severe Problem In PA  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission: Low Stream Flows Triggering Restrictions On 19 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals, 17 More Approaching Restrictions  [PaEN]  

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Releases Natural Gas Industry Water Use Report 2019-2023

-- PUC Launches Review Of Electric Grid Impacts From Data Center Growth, Sets April 24 Hearing  [PaEN]  

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Permit For Kratos Cryptocurrency Mining Facility Powered By Natural Gas In Clinton County  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Reliability Initiative Attracts 94 Applications For 26.6 GW Of New Electric Generation Capacity; Reviews To Be Completed By 2026; List Of Projects Not Available Now  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Pennsylvania Caps 300 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In 2 Years

-- High Country News: President Halts Historic Orphaned Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program

-- Utility Dive: PJM Fast-Track Interconnection Process Draws 26.6 GW In New Electric Generation Capacity

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Expect Higher Electric Bills This Summer By As Much As 20%  [Thousands Of Energy Projects Stuck In PJM Review] - By Rob Altenburg, PennFuture 

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy Blog: More Bad Ideas To Promote Natural Gas, More Clean Energy Solutions For Load Growth - By John Quigley, Senior Fellow, Fmr DEP Secretary 

[Posted: March 28, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

DEP Invites Comments On Air Permit For Kratos Cryptocurrency Mining Facility Powered By Natural Gas In Clinton County

The Department of Environmental Protection invited comments on an Air Quality Plan Approval for a Kratos Mining, LLC cryptocurrency facility powered by natural gas engines in West Keating Township, Clinton County.  (PA Bulletin, page 2519)

The permit would cover air pollution emissions from 15 natural gas-fired engines to generate electricity for the proposed Kratos Site 1A cryptocurrency facility.

The permit application was received September 26.

Public comments are due 30 days from the formal notice.  A public hearing may be requested.

Read the entire PA Bulletin notice for more information. (PA Bulletin, page 2519)

Requests to review the permit application and questions should be directed to Muhammad Q. Zaman, Air Quality Program Manager, at 570-327-3648 at DEP’s Northcentral Regional Office in Williamsport.

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website.  Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

Related Article:

-- PUC Launches Review Of Electric Grid Impacts From Data Center Growth, Sets April 24 Hearing  [PaEN]  

[Posted: March 28, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

DEP Invites Comments On Waste Permit For Expansion Of Brunner Island Power Plant Waste Disposal Landfill In York County

The Department of Environmental Protection invites comments on a major waste permit modification allowing the expansion of the Brunner Island Power Plant Waste Disposal Area 8 Class II Residual Waste Landfill in East Manchester Twp., York County. (PA Bulletin, page 2518)

The permit application was received February 4 and deemed complete on March 18.

Public comments are due 60 days from this notice.

Read the entire PA Bulletin notice for information on how to review the permit application and submit comments. (PA Bulletin, page 2518)

Questions should be directed to  Carrie Fleming, Program Manager, (717-705-6638), Southcentral Region, 909 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg.

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website.  Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

[Posted: March 28, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

State Conservation Commission Now Accepting Applications For Agriculture Conservation Assistance Grants From Philadelphia County

The Department of Agriculture published notice in the March 29 PA Bulletin it is accepting applications from Philadelphia County for Agriculture Conservation Assistance Grants. The deadline to apply is May 2.

This program, administered by the State Conservation Commission, provides financial and technical assistance for the implementation of best management practices (BMP) on agricultural operations to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution.

The Commission has determined that there is $300,000 available for applications from eligible applicants in Philadelphia County for ACAP.

Read the entire PA Bulletin notice for all the details.

[Posted: March 28, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

DEP Soliciting Bids On 3rd Conventional Abandoned Oil & Gas Well Plugging Contract For 19 Wells In Clarion, Jefferson Counties At Taxpayer Expense

On March 28, the Department of Environmental Protection released a request for bids on a contract to plug 19 conventional oil and gas wells their owners abandoned in Clarion and Jefferson counties.

The official solicitation were made through the BidExpress.com website, like all major DEP contracts. 

The wells are located in Millcreek Township, Clarion County and Heath, Eldred, and Barnett Townships, Jefferson County.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on April 2 at Clear Creek State Park in Sigel, PA.

This is the third plugging contract released this year funded primarily with federal well plugging funds under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

Conventional oil and gas well owners don’t pay a dime to plug these wells.

The other two plugging contracts include--

-- 43 conventional abandoned wells in Armstrong, Clarion and Venango counties.  Read more here.

-- 38 abandoned conventional wells in Armstrong, Venango and Washington counties.  Read more here.

DEP also has a solicitation for six professional services to support the federally funded well plugging program out to bid.  Proposals are due April 14.   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.

Visit DEP’s Office of Oil and Gas Management webpage to learn more about this program.

Related Articles This Week:

-- Criminal Convictions; Record Penalties, Restitution Of Over $158.3 Million Highlight Big Shale Gas, Related Petrochemical Industry Compliance History In Pennsylvania  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Reports 575 Water Supply/Stray Gas Complaints About Oil & Gas Operations In Last 2 Years; Investigation Can Take A Year, Sometimes 2-3 To Find Those Responsible [PaEN]

-- Daily Grind Living Next To Oil & Gas Industry: Spills, Polluted Water Supplies, Smells Like Gas, Noise, Air Pollution, Explosions, Truck Traffic, Erosion, Radioactive Waste, Gas Flares, Dust, Lights, Road Dumping Waste, Abandoned Wells  [PaEN]  

-- DEP To Recommend Environmental Quality Board Accept A Petition For Study To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells At April 8 Meeting  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: US Interior Dept. Withdraws Orphan Oil & Gas Well Regulatory Improvement Grant Program To Help Prevent Future Well Abandonments, A Severe Problem In PA  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission: Low Stream Flows Triggering Restrictions On 19 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals, 17 More Approaching Restrictions  [PaEN]  

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Releases Natural Gas Industry Water Use Report 2019-2023

-- PUC Launches Review Of Electric Grid Impacts From Data Center Growth, Sets April 24 Hearing  [PaEN]  

-- PJM Interconnection Reliability Initiative Attracts 94 Applications For 26.6 GW Of New Electric Generation Capacity; Reviews To Be Completed By 2026; List Of Projects Not Available Now  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Pennsylvania Caps 300 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In 2 Years

-- High Country News: President Halts Historic Orphaned Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program

-- Utility Dive: PJM Fast-Track Interconnection Process Draws 26.6 GW In New Electric Generation Capacity

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Expect Higher Electric Bills This Summer By As Much As 20%  [Thousands Of Energy Projects Stuck In PJM Review] - By Rob Altenburg, PennFuture 

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy Blog: More Bad Ideas To Promote Natural Gas, More Clean Energy Solutions For Load Growth - By John Quigley, Senior Fellow, Fmr DEP Secretary 

[Posted: March 28, 2025]  PA Environment Digest