Registration Now Open For 2022 Watershed Congress In Montgomery County Oct. 22

Registration is now open for the 2022 Watershed Congress to be held in-person and online at the Montgomery County Community College campus in Pottstown on October 22.

The Watershed Congress is an annual event that seeks to advance the best available information and techniques for protecting and restoring watersheds. 

The focus on networking across disciplines means that the Watershed Congress melds science, policy, and practical applications into one program.

As a result, the annual Watershed Congress is a highly anticipated event for people interested in understanding, protecting, and restoring their local streams.

Join the Congress as environmental leaders in the Southeast region present and in depth look at the promise of the federal Clean Water Act, the effectiveness of its implementation to date, what it has meant for our communities, and the future of ongoing efforts and advocacy to secure truly fishable and swimmable waters.

To register and for more information, visit the 2022 Watershed Congress website.

[Posted: October 5, 2022]  PA Environment Digest

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DEP Issued NOVs To Conventional Oil & Gas Companies For Abandoning 55 Wells Without Plugging Them During September Alone, A Dramatic Increase In New Well Abandonments

The Department of Environmental Protection issued notices of violation to conventional oil and gas companies for abandoning 55 wells without plugging them during September alone, according to DEP’s Oil and Gas Program Compliance Database.

That brings the total number of NOVs issued by DEP for abandoning wells without plugging them in the Third Quarter of 2022 to 163 conventional wells and three unconventional shale gas wells.

That’s more NOVs issued for abandoning conventional wells than in the first six months of 2022-- 163 from July through September versus 159 from January through June. Read more here. 

So far in 2022 a total of 322 notices of violation were issued for conventional wells and 32 for unconventional shale gas wells for abandoning without plugging them for a total of 354 wells.

And these were only the wells DEP inspectors caught companies abandoning during their regular inspections.

Every oil and gas well abandoned by the oil and gas industry means taxpayers have to pick up the cost of plugging and cleaning up those sites.

Background

Conventional oil and gas well companies have so far shifted over $5.1 billion in well plugging costs to taxpayers because they are required to put up zero bonds to cover plugging costs for wells they drilled before April 1985-- which is most of them-- and only limited bonding for wells since then that does not begin to cover taxpayers’ plugging costs.  Read more here. 

The conventional industry also passed legislation in July that Gov. Wolf allowed to become law blocking any attempts to increase the bonding amounts for 10 years.  Read more here.

To put the 322 notices of violation for abandoning conventional oil and gas wells so far this year in perspective, that’s many more than the number of wells DEP plans to plug-- 249-- with the initial $25 million from the new, highly touted, federal taxpayer-funded Bipartisan Infrastructure Law conventional oil and gas well plugging program.  Read more here.

It’s also important to understand, notices of violation are DEP’s first step in trying to get a driller’s attention that a violation has occurred and they need to take steps to resolve the issue.

DEP’s Oil and Gas Program Compliance Database has incomplete information on how  these violations were resolved.

In terms of past enforcement actions, DEP only assessed monetary penalties against 15 of the 256 conventional oil and gas operators who received notices of violation for abandoning wells without plugging them over the last six years, according to DEP’s response to a Right to Know request to the Oil and Gas Management Program for penalty information covering conventional operators from 2016 through 2021.   Read more here.

During those same six years, DEP issued over 4,270 notices of violations for abandoning wells.  Read more here.

It is clear abandoning wells without paying the cost of plugging them is a pervasive part of the way conventional oil and gas industry’s operate.  Read more here.

Counties With Newly Abandoned Wells

In July, August and September, conventional operators were given NOVs for abandoning wells without plugging them in these 12 counties-- Butler (7), Cambria ( 7), Crawford (1), Elk (2), Erie (8), Forest (3), Greene (1), McKean (7), Mercer (3), Venango (103), Warren (4) and Westmoreland (17).

DEP issued NOVs for abandoning three unconventional shale gas wells-- two in Wyoming County and one in Westmoreland County.

Companies Abandoning Wells

In July, August and September, these 41 conventional operators were given NOVs for abandoning wells without plugging them--  All American Energy (1); Allshouse Excav. (9); Allshouse, Terrance L. Jr. (4); Apex Energy (1); Apollo Resources LLC (8); AZCO OPR (1); BV Gas LLC (1); C&D Gas Co. (2); Champion Bolt Corp (2); Cobra Resources (5); Dannic Energy Corp (1); Diversified Prod (2); Dorso LP (1); Energy Exploration & Dev. (1); Equitrans LP (1); Five Star Investment Group (1); FM Sloan Inc. (2); Fyrerols Reservoir Consulting (3); Grace M. Marzalen (1); Hartstown OIl & Gas Explor (1); Horizontal Exploration (6); HypePark Foundry & Mach Co. (1); Lazy Oil Co. LLC (2); Lendrum Energy LLC (40); LT OIl Co LLC (9); Magi Oil (1); Marvin Sanders Oil (1); Michael Harju (1); Mid East Oil (1); Millcreek Twp. School District (1); Nucomer Energy (1); PA Mineral Services (1); Pierce & Peterson (2); Pin Oak Energy Partners (1); Questa Petro Co. (2); Redfoot Daniel A (1); Reel Resources (2); Repasky Christopher S. (27); STK Investments LLC (1); Timberline Energy (9); Titus Energy (1); West Silas (1); and Wilmoth Interests (1).

The number of conventional oil and gas operators give NOVs for newly abandoned wells clearly continues to show well abandonment is pervasive in this industry.  Read more here.

Chesapeake Appalachia was issued notices of violation by DEP for abandoning two unconventional shale gas wells without plugging them in Wyoming County and Diversified Prod. LLC for one unconventional shale gas well in Westmoreland County.

DEP Conventional Drilling Compliance Review

On July 30, Gov. Wolf directed the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct an evaluation of how it regulates conventional oil and gas wells to prevent new abandoned wells, tighten review of permit transfers, review compliance with environmental safeguards and make recommendations for changes and actions, including criminal sanctions.

The evaluation was due to the Governor’s Office by September 1, but no information from the report has been released as of this writing.  Read more here.

On August 18, Kurt Klapkowski, Acting DEP Deputy Secretary for Oil and Gas Management, told DCED’s  PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council the conventional oil and gas driller compliance review will evaluate at least the last five years of compliance.

When asked whether DEP’s evaluation and accompanying recommendations would be in a public document, Klapkowski said, “... don’t know the answer to that question.  All I can say is what was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, the instructions that we were given in terms of preparing a report for the conventional industry's record of compliance.”

To track oil and gas facility compliance with Pennsylvania’s laws and regulations, visit DEP’s  Oil and Gas Program Compliance Database and search by company.

You will be shocked at what you find.

NewsClip:

-- WSJ: Nationwide Work Starts To Plug Abandoned Conventional Gas & Oil Wells [In PA Newly Abandoned Wells Outnumber Wells The State Plans To Plug]

Related Articles - New Abandoned Wells:

-- Only 15 Out Of 256 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Who Abandoned Wells Without Plugging Them Were Fined By DEP; Small Penalties No Deterrent To Future Abandonments  [PaEN]

-- Bay Journal: New Abandoned Wells - More Concerns Emerge Over Pennsylvania’s Conventional Oil & Gas Wells - By Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal  [8.25.22]

-- New Abandoned Wells: DEP Records Show Abandoning Oil & Gas Wells Without Plugging Them Is Pervasive In Conventional Drilling Industry; Who Is Protecting Taxpayers?  [PaEN]

-- 12 Unconventional Shale Gas Drillers Issued DEP Notices Of Violation For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them At 35 Well Pads In 17 Counties [PaEN]

-- Quarterly Report: DEP Issued 77 Notices Of Violations To Conventional Drillers, 8 To Shale Gas Drillers For Attempting To Abandon Wells Without Plugging Them  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues 20% More NOVs To Oil & Gas Well Drillers For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In 2nd Quarter [PaEN]

-- U.S. Dept. Of Interior Awards PA $25 Million In Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging Funding From Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law [PaEN]

-- DEP: Wastes Generated By The New Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program Will NOT Be Exempt From Hazardous Waste Regulations, Unlike Wastes From Active Wells  [PaEN]

-- Creating New Brownfields: Oil & Gas Well Drillers Notified DEP They Are Cleaning Up Soil & Water Contaminated With Chemicals Harmful To Human Health, Aquatic Life At 272 Locations In PA  [PaEN]

-- New Penn State Study Finds Runoff From Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumped On Unpaved Roads Contains Pollutants That Exceed Human-Health, Environmental Standards  [5.27.22]

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Reported Spreading 977,671 Gallons Of Untreated Drilling Wastewater On PA Roads In 2021  [PaEN]

-- Conventional Oil & Natural Gas Drilling: An Industrial Machine Moving Across The PA Countryside Leaving Behind Big Liabilities & Spreading Pollution Everywhere It Goes  [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: Body Of Evidence Is 'Large, Growing,’ ‘Consistent’ And 'Compelling' That Shale Gas Development Is Having A Negative Impact On Public Health; PA Must Act  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: PA’s Natural Gas Boom - What Went Wrong? Why Does It Matter?  What Can We Do Better To Protect Public Health?  [PaEN]

PA Environment Digest:

-- Recent Articles Posted On Oil & Gas Drilling Impacts

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Collects $147,250 Penalty From Rice Drilling B LLC For Erosion & Sedimentation Violations In Greene County; DEP Found Rice Had Hundreds Of Other Violations, Including Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them  [PaEN]

-- DEP: PA Fracking Operations Sent Nearly 236,000 Cubic Feet Of Radioactive TENORM Waste To Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facilities For Disposal In 2021 - 811,070 since 2016  [PaEN]

-- Fall Visitors To Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Areas Urged To Report Illegal Road Dumping Of Drilling Wastewater  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Groups Raise Serious Compliance Issues With Olympus Energy-- Over 600 Violations On 13 DEP Permits-- In Comments On Proposed Shale Gas Drilling Pad In Allegheny County  [PaEN]

-- Washington County Community Meeting Updates Residents On PA Health & Environment Studies, Discusses Health Impacts Of Shale Gas Development  [PaEN]

[Posted: October 5, 2022]  PA Environment Digest

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Annual Conference Of Interfaith Power & Light To Focus On Environmental Justice & Human Resilience On Nov. 13

PA Interfaith Power and Light will hold its annual conference on November 13 with a focus on Environmental Justice and Human Resilience at in-person workshops and virtually from 1:00 to 4:15 p.m..

The Conference will include both a virtual keynote and response panel session, along with two, in-person workshops at four locations-- Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Scranton and Philadelphia.

Dr. Joylette Portlock, Executive Director, Sustainable Pittsburgh, will be the Keynote Speaker. 

Genevieve LaMarr LeMee, City of Philadelphia, Office of Sustainability, Senior Advisor on Environmental Justice, and Katie Ruth, Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake- Lancaster, Outreach Coordinator will join participants to respond to Dr. Portlock’s address in the first hour. 

The second and third hour will be in-person at the workshop locations.  Details will follow.

Click Here to register and for more information. 

For more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and more, visit the PA Interfaith Power and Light website.

[Posted: October 5, 2022]  PA Environment Digest

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Washington County Community Meeting Updates Residents On PA Health & Environment Studies, Discusses Health Impacts Of Shale Gas Development

An October 5 public meeting in Canonsburg, Washington County offered residents an opportunity to learn more about a set of research studies titled the PA Health and Environment Studies now being conducted by the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health. 

The event was planned and presented by the Center for Coalfield Justice, the Environmental Health Project, FracTracker Alliance, the Mountain Watershed Association, and Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania.  

The studies are exploring potential health impacts of the shale gas industry on residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania, including potential connections between this heavy industry and a spike in childhood cancers in the region. 

The PA Health and Environment studies are ongoing, and results were not shared at this meeting. 

Persons who formerly participated as members of the studies’ External Advisory Board and who provided feedback to the study architects discussed the studies at the Canonsburg meeting and helped to prepare the community to understand the scope and limitations of the results.  

“We held this meeting to bring as much transparency as possible to our communities,” said Heaven Sensky, former External Advisory Board co-chair and organizing director of the Center for Coalfield Justice. “When our government and academic institutions fail to be accountable to our communities, together as neighbors we can get answers and protect our health.” 

“We’re encouraging residents to visit the studies’ website and ask questions of the research team, so that everyone can best understand the results once they are published,” said Erica Jackson, former External Advisory Board member and manager of community outreach and support for FracTracker Alliance. “These studies would not exist if it weren’t for the work of impacted families organizing in their communities, and we want to make sure those voices aren’t lost now that the research is underway.” 

“Although this meeting is in Canonsburg, it is important to understand that the health impacts at the forefront of these studies are regionwide,” said Stacey Magda, community organizer for Mountain Watershed Association. “Having the opportunity to work with a coalition of organizations that support environmental and human equity issues is such a powerful resource to offer our communities. We are hopeful folks will gain the opportunity to understand these studies, express concerns and experiences, and work together to find a path forward to ensure the health and vitality of our entire region.” 

Additionally, the Environmental Health Project and Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania presented information families can use to identify impacts and protect their health. 

“There is no doubt that residents living in proximity to shale gas development face a host of potential health issues,” said Makenzie White, public health manager at the Environmental Health Project. “Studies show that shale gas operations raise the risk of respiratory illnesses like asthma, heart disease and heart attacks, birth defects and pre-term deliveries, mental health problems, and cancer. It’s essential that we give impacted residents the tools they need to make informed decisions about their family’s health.” 

“Nobody should be surprised when children living near fracked gas wells, pipelines, compressor stations, gas processing facilities, and fracking waste landfills start getting sick,” said former External Advisory Board member and current president of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, Dr. Ned Ketyer. “Dozens of studies already show serious harm to people living nearby, and children appear to bear the highest burden.” 

Representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health had originally committed to being on hand to explain the study process and to take questions from community members. However, the agency and the school decided to pull out of the meeting. 

A separate statement on this matter from meeting organizers can be viewed here. 

Online Comment Form

The Department of Health has set up an online form where residents can ask questions and provide feedback. 

Click Here to watch a video of the public meeting.

More Background

In 2019, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s administration allocated $3 million to the studies, taking action after months of impassioned pleas by the families of childhood cancer patients who live in the most heavily drilled region of the state. 

The studies have been underway for two years.  

“The constant drumbeat from industry to deny, deny can no longer be tolerated,” said Lois Bower-Bjornson, mother of four, who is also southwestern field organizer with Clean Air Council and the host of Frackland tours. “The game that the industry is playing comes at a cost for the children and families that live in the frack fields of Southwestern Pennsylvania. A recent study from Yale University found that children living near oil and gas have three times the risk of developing leukemia. I don’t see anyone talking about how bad industry is for our children and communities. We rely on public institutions to help protect us, and now those institutions can be added to the list of the complacent.” 

The studies cover the entirety of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Region, including Allegheny County, Armstrong County, Beaver County, Butler County, Fayette County, Greene County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County. 

NewsClips:

-- Post-Gazette: Washington County Residents Seek Answers On Health Impacts Of Fracking, Shale Gas

-- StateImpactPA - Reid Frazier: Public Briefed On Fracking Health Studies, Despite No-Show From Pitt, State Health Dept.

-- Observer-Reporter: Looking For Answers - Residents Await Results Of Shale Gas Drilling Health Studies

Related Article On Oct. 5 Meeting:

-- Center For Coalfield Justice Hosts Oct. 5 In-Person, Virtual Public Meeting On PA Health Studies Of Natural Gas Development In Southwest PA

University Of Pittsburgh - 3 Health Studies:

-- Center For Coalfield Justice Hosts Oct. 5 Public Meeting On PA Health Studies Of Natural Gas Development In Southwest PA  [PaEN]

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Recruiting Families In Southwest PA For Study Of Childhood Cancer, One Of 3 Studies Of Potential Health Impacts Linked To Shale Natural Gas Development [PaEN]

Related Articles:

-- Dept. Of Health Awards $2.5 Million Contract To University of Pittsburgh To Research Health Effects Of Hydraulic Fracturing In PA [PaEN]

-- Health Advocacy Groups Meet With State Dept. Of Health, DEP To Discuss Residents Impacted By Shale Gas Emissions [PaEN]

-- Dept. Of Health Visits Communities And Families Impacted By Shale Gas Development, Hears Firsthand Accounts Of Health Harms [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: PA’s Natural Gas Boom - What Went Wrong? Why Does It Matter?  What Can We Do Better To Protect Public Health?  [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: Body Of Evidence Is 'Large, Growing,’ ‘Consistent’ And 'Compelling' That Shale Gas Development Is Having A Negative Impact On Public Health; PA Must Act  [PaEN]

PA Environment Digest:

-- Recent Articles Posted On Oil & Gas Drilling Impacts

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Issued NOVs To Conventional Oil & Gas Companies For Abandoning 55 Wells Without Plugging Them During September Alone, A Dramatic Increase In New Well Abandonments  [PaEN]

-- DEP Collects $147,250 Penalty From Rice Drilling B LLC For Erosion & Sedimentation Violations In Greene County; DEP Found Rice Had Hundreds Of Other Violations, Including Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them  [PaEN]

-- DEP: PA Fracking Operations Sent Nearly 236,000 Cubic Feet Of Radioactive TENORM Waste To Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facilities For Disposal In 2021 - 811,070 since 2016  [PaEN]

-- Fall Visitors To Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Areas Urged To Report Illegal Road Dumping Of Drilling Wastewater  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Groups Raise Serious Compliance Issues With Olympus Energy-- Over 600 Violations On 13 DEP Permits-- In Comments On Proposed Shale Gas Drilling Pad In Allegheny County  [PaEN]

[Posted: October 5, 2022]  PA Environment Digest

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