By David E. Hess | PA Environment Digest Blog
To give the public a better understanding of the compliance record of oil and gas industrial facilities in Pennsylvania, PA Environment Digest developed this feature summarizing the more serious violations DEP reports through its Compliance Reporting Database on a weekly basis — Saturday through Friday.
This feature is in addition to — PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment— which lists the permits DEP is considering and has issued for oil and gas facilities.
Taken together, the public will get a weekly report on how the oil and gas industry is expanding across Pennsylvania and the kinds of environmental violations reported as a result of DEP’s inspections.
Send your feedback on these features to: [email protected] .
Weekly Summary
From November 12 through 18, DEP inspections resulted in reporting 178 violations of environmental regulations– 178 violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 0 violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry.
So far this year– as of November 11— DEP issued 4,483 formal notices of violation to conventional operators and 1,005 to unconventional shale gas operators.
The most significant problem reported again this week was seven instances of failure to plug conventional oil and gas wells upon abandoning them by BCD Prop. Inc. in Erie County (1); Diamond Energy Partners in Mercer County (1) and Allshouse Excav in Venango County (1).
The second most significant issue was the failure of River Ridge Gravel Co. to file annual production and waste disposal reports and well integrity reports for 34 wells in Venango County.
The production and waste report is critical to understanding how much wastewater and other waste those wells generated and where it was disposed of.
The annual integrity report is critical because it helps ensure the operator is taking the steps needed to prevent natural gas, oil or contaminated water leaks from oil and gas wells.
Report Violations
To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.
Check These Resources
Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database webpage to search their compliance records by date and operator.
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.
Violation Details
Violations Reported – Conventional
3 — Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It
3 — Discharged Waste Into Waters Of Commonwealth
2 — Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth
3 — Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit
1 — Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater
2 — Failure To Construct Well To Maintain Its Integrity
40 — Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
Company/Location/Violations – Conventional
Bradford County
– Smithfield Twp. – Harkness Impoundment
— Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth
Erie County
— BCD Prop Inc. – McKean Twp. – Sekula 1
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— BCD Prop Inc. – McKean Twp. – Froehlich 1
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— BCD Prop Inc. – McKean Twp. – Kosienski 4
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— BCD Prop Inc. – McKean Twp. – Dougherty 1
— Discharged Waste Into Waters Of Commonwealth
— Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit
— Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— BCD Prop Inc. – McKean Twp. – Flak 1
— Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It
— Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— Nucomer Energy LLC – Venango Twp. – Richard Leisure 1
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
Greene County
— Diversified Prod LLC – Cumberland Twp. – USX 24
— Failure To Construction Well To Maintain Its Integrity
McKean County
— PennHills Resources LLC – Hamilton Twp. – West W318
— Discharged Waste Into Waters Of Commonwealth
— Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit
— Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealt
Mercer County
— Diamond Energy Partners – Otter Creek Twp. – Shilling V 1
— Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It
Venango County
— Allshouse Excav – Allegheny Twp. – Zimmerman 17
— Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It
— OWS Energy LLC – Canal Twp. – Stolenburg 1
— Failure To Construct Well To Maintain Its Integrity
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 75 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 64 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 65 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 45 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 7R Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 77 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 102 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 105 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 112 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 132 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 6R Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 103 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 104 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – INC 14 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 8R Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 61 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 62 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 2R Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 86 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 87 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 1R Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 5R Well
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 128 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 100 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 44 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 56 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 63 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 3R Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 4R Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 1R Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 58 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 73 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 88 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
— River Ridge Gravel Co – Cranberry Twp. – 89 Well
— Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report
Violations Reported – Unconventional Shale Gas
— No violations for unconventional shale gas facilities reported by DEP
[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]
Related Articles:
— What Can We Expect From Gov. Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Davis On Environmental, Energy Issues? [PaEN]
— DEP Assesses $200,000 In Penalties For Drilling Wastewater Spills By CNX In Greene County [PaEN]
— Washington County Family Lawsuit Alleges Shale Gas Company Violated The Terms Of Their Lease By Endangering Their Health, Contaminating Their Water Supply And Not Protecting Their Land [PaEN]
— Center For Coalfield Justice Holds First Water Distribution Day Nov. 19 To Help Provide Families Drinking Water In Greene County Following Alleged ‘Frack-Out’ At Natural Gas Well Site In June [PaEN]
— Post-Gazette: Efforts To Stop A Natural Gas Leak For The Last 12 Days At A Cambria County Underground Gas Storage Area Have Failed, Gas Is Again Escaping [PaEN]
— Pittsburgh Business Times: Natural Gas Drilling Ban Supporters See Wider Effort In Allegheny County Towns
— Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: We’ve Got Enough Compelling Evidence To Enact Health Protective Policies For Families Now – By Edward C. Ketyer, M.D., President, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania [PaEN]
— Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: When It Started, It Was Kind Of Nice, But What Happened Afterwards Really Kind Of Devastated Our Community – By Rev. Wesley Silva, former Council President Marianna Borough, Washington County [PaEN]
— Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Living Near Oil & Gas Facilities Means Higher Health Risks, The Closer You Live, The Higher The Risk – By Nicole Deziel PhD MHS, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health [PaEN]
— Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Economically, Socially Deprived Areas In PA Have A Much Greater Chance Of Having Oil & Gas Waste Disposed In Their Communities – By Joan Casey, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health [PaEN]
— YaleEnvironment360 – Jon Hurdle: As Evidence Mounts, New Concerns About Fracking And Health
— Young Evangelicals For Climate Action Celebrates Stronger Proposed EPA Oil & Gas Methane Standard [PaEN]
— Environmental Health Project Calls Proposed EPA Oil & Gas Methane Emissions Rule Good First Step [PaEN]
— DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Cryptocurrency Data Mining Operation On Shale Gas Well Pad In Elk County [PaEN]
— DEP Invites Comments On Texas Eastern Pipeline Replacement Projects Affecting Cambria, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, Lebanon Counties [PaEN]
— IRRC Approves Final VOC/Methane Emission Limits On Conventional Oil & Gas Wells – Federal Highway Funds Still At Risk; And First State MCL For PFOS/PFOA [PaEN]
— Beaver County Residents, Allies Launch New Shell Ethane Plant Accountability Campaign With Nov. 21 Webinar [PaEN]
[Posted: November 18, 2022] PA Environment Digest
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PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities to Comment
By David E. Hess | PA Environment Digest Blog
The following DEP notices were published in the November 19 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities. Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments.
Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups
— Equitrans Midstream – Mojo Compressor Station: DEP received notice of intent to remediate soil contaminated with ethylene glycol inAmwell Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 7163)
— EQT – Kevech Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP received Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated with aluminum, barium, boron, iron, lithium, manganese, selenium, strontium, vanadium, zinc, and chloride in Fallowfield Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 7189)
— CNX – NV 30 Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP received Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated with aluminum, barium, boron, iron, lithium, manganese, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc in Morris Township, Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 7189)
— SWN Production Company LLC – WC 67 East Lateral Pipeline: DEP received Final Report on remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with drilling wastewater in Jackson Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 7189)
— EQT – Golden Goose Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP received Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated with aluminum, barium, boron, iron, lithium, manganese, selenium, strontium, vanadium, zinc, and chloride in North Bethlehem Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 7190)
Electric Generation
— Renovo Energy Center Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant: DEP extended the Air Quality Plan Approval for construction of the 1,240 MW power plant to April 27, 2024 in Renovo Borough, Clinton County. (PA Bulletin, page 7193)
— Calpine Mid-Merit LLC – York Energy Center: DEP extended Air Quality Plan Approval for natural gas-fired 830 MW power plant. (PA Bulletin, page 7193)
Refinery
— Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining & Marketing, LLC – Schuylkill River Tank Farm Terminal: Philadelphia Air Management Services modified Title V Air Quality permit related to responsible operator in City of Philadelphia. (PA Bulletin, page 7193)
Cryptocurrency
— Diversified Production LLC – Longhorn Well Pad C: DEP invites comments on Air Quality Permit for cryptocurrency data mining operations and not shale gas well site operations at the well pad in Jay Township, Elk County. (PA Bulletin, page 7164) Read more here.
Waste Facility Permits
— Range Resources-Appalachia LLC: DEP revoked waste management WMGR123 General Permit for an oil and gas liquid waste processing and transfer facility on November 2, 2022 in Hopewell Twp., Washington County. The facility was never constructed and operated. (PA Bulletin, page 7191)
Section 401 Water Quality Certification/Chapter 102/105 Permits
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the November 19 PA Bulletin inviting comments on its proposal to issue a Section 401 Water Quality Certification and associated Chapter 102 and Chapter 105 permits for the Texas Eastern Transmission LP A2MII, Armagh and Entriken Pipeline Replacement Projects impacting Cambria, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana and Lebanon counties. (Nov. 19 PA Bulletin, page 7200) Read more here.
Pipeline Compressor/Pumping Stations/Heaters
— Texas Eastern Transmission – Compressor Station: DEP invites comments on Air Quality Permit for compressor station in Cresson Twp., Cambria County. (PA Bulletin, page 7168)
— Texas Eastern Transmission – J.B. Tonkin Compressor Station: DEP invites comments on Air Quality Permit for compressor station in Murrysville Borough, Westmoreland County. (PA Bulletin, page 7168)
— Chesapeake Appalachia LLC – Lightcap BRA Pad Compressor Station: DEP issued Air Quality Permit for compressor station in New Albany Borough, Bradford County. (PA Bulletin, page 7192)
— Peoples Natural Gas Company – Creekside Compressor Station: DEP issued Air Quality Permit for compressor station in White Twp., Indiana County. (PA Bulletin, page 7192)
— ETO Energy Inc. – Bachelder Well Pad: DEP issued Air Quality Permit for well pad in Penn Twp., Butler County. (PA Bulletin, page 7192)
— Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company – Compressor Station: DEP extended Air Quality Plan Approval to allow for compressor station testing in Londonderry Twp., Chester County. (PA Bulletin, page 7193)
Chapter 105 Encroachment Permits
— Williams Field Services – Gathering Pipelines: DEP invites comments on an application for construction of multiple natural gas gathering lines affecting palustrine emergent wetlands in Bridgewater Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 7173)
— Highland Field Services LLC – Aboveground Water Pipeline: DEP invites comments on an application for the construction of a 16-inch aboveground water pipeline with multiple crossings of High Quality and Exceptional Value, Wild Trout streams and wetlands in Gamble and Lewis Creek Townships, Lycoming County. (PA Bulletin, page 7173)
— ETC Northeast Field [Pipeline] Services LLC: DEP issued Chapter 105 permit to remediate a slope failure along pipeline route in Robinson Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 7196)
Erosion & Sedimentation Permits
— Beech Resources LLC: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Lycoming Creek (Exceptional Value and Beautys Run in Lycoming Twp., Lycoming County. (PA Bulletin, page 7197)
— Beech Resources LLC: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Quenshuckeny Run and Beautys Run in Lycoming Twp., Lycoming County. (PA Bulletin, page 7197)
— NFG Midstream [Pipeline]: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Mill Creek (Exceptional Value) in Gamble Twp., Lycoming County. (PA Bulletin, page 7197)
— Williams Field [Pipeline] Services Co., LLC: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting a tributary to Meshoppen Creek in Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 7197)
— Williams Field [Pipeline] Services Co., LLC: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting a tributary to West Creek and Elk Lake Stream in Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 7197)
— Coterra Energy Inc.: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting a tributary to Meshoppen Creek in Bridgewater Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 7197)
— PA General Energy Co., LLC: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Carpenter Run (Exceptional Value), West Mill Creek (High Quality), Bear Run in Union Township, Tioga County. (PA Bulletin, page 7198)
— DEP Posts 63 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Nov. 19 PA Bulletin – Regulations [PaEN]
Oil & Gas Well Drilling Permits [11.11.22]*
— Last Week – Permits: DEP issued 0 conventional and 13 unconventional
— Year To Date – Permits: DEP issued 262 conventional and 649 unconventional
— Year To Date – Wells Drilled: 201 conventional and 513 unconventional
— Year To Date – NOVs Issued: 4,483 conventional and 1,005 unconventional
*DEP’s Weekly Oil & Gas Program Workload Report
DEP Issued These New Oil & Gas Well Permits*
*Click Here to find oil and gas well permits recently issued near you
Sign Up! DEP eNotice: The Only Way You’ll Know When Applications Come In To DEP
Did you know DEP can send you email notices when permit applications are submitted to DEP in your community?
This is the only way you can get notified of when oil and gas-related permits are submitted to DEP.
You’ll also get notice of new technical guidance documents and regulations.
Click Here to sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE today!
Previous Articles – DEP Oil & Gas Industrial Facility Notices:
— DEP Permit Notices — Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [11.11.22]
— DEP Permit Notices – Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [11.4.22]
— DEP Permit Notices – Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [10.28.22]
— DEP/SRBC Permit Notices — Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [10.21.22]
— DEP Permit Notices — Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [10.14.22]
— DEP Permit Notices — Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [10.7.22]
— DEP/SRBC Permit Notices — Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [9.30.22]
— DEP Permit Notices — Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [9.23.22]
— DEP Permit Notices — Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [9.16.22]
— DEP Permit Notices — Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [9.9.22]
— DEP Permit Notices — Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities [9.3.22]
Related Articles This Week:
— What Can We Expect From Gov. Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Davis On Environmental, Energy Issues? [PaEN]
— DEP Assesses $200,000 In Penalties For Drilling Wastewater Spills By CNX In Greene County [PaEN]
— DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Cryptocurrency Data Mining Operation On Shale Gas Well Pad In Elk County [PaEN]
— DEP Invites Comments On Texas Eastern Pipeline Replacement Projects Affecting Cambria, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, Lebanon Counties [PaEN]
— Washington County Family Lawsuit Alleges Shale Gas Company Violated The Terms Of Their Lease By Endangering Their Health, Contaminating Their Water Supply And Not Protecting Their Land [PaEN]
— Observer-Reporter: Ongoing Water Donation Drive Helping Dozens Of Greene County Families Who Haven’t Had Clean Drinking Water Since June Following Alleged ‘Frack-Out’ At Natural Gas Well Site [PaEN]
— After 11 Days, And The Loss Of About 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas, A Leak From An Underground Gas Storage Area In Cambria County Has Been Stopped [PaEN]
— Pittsburgh Business Times: Natural Gas Drilling Ban Supporters See Wider Effort In Allegheny County Towns
— Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: We’ve Got Enough Compelling Evidence To Enact Health Protective Policies For Families Now – By Edward C. Ketyer, M.D., President, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania [PaEN]
— Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: When It Started, It Was Kind Of Nice, But What Happened Afterwards Really Kind Of Devastated Our Community – By Rev. Wesley Silva, former Council President Marianna Borough, Washington County [PaEN]
— Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Living Near Oil & Gas Facilities Means Higher Health Risks, The Closer You Live, The Higher The Risk – By Nicole Deziel PhD MHS, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health [PaEN]
— Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: Economically, Socially Deprived Areas In PA Have A Much Greater Chance Of Having Oil & Gas Waste Disposed In Their Communities – By Joan Casey, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health [PaEN]
— YaleEnvironment360 – Jon Hurdle: As Evidence Mounts, New Concerns About Fracking And Health
— Young Evangelicals For Climate Action Celebrates Stronger Proposed EPA Oil & Gas Methane Standard [PaEN]
— Environmental Health Project Calls Proposed EPA Oil & Gas Methane Emissions Rule Good First Step [PaEN]
— IRRC Approves Final VOC/Methane Emission Limits On Conventional Oil & Gas Wells – Federal Highway Funds Still At Risk; And First State MCL For PFOS/PFOA [PaEN]
— Beaver County Residents, Allies Launch New Shell Ethane Plant Accountability Campaign With Nov. 21 Webinar [PaEN]
[Posted: November 18, 2022] PA Environment Digest
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Settlement Agreement Between Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC and Clean Air Council and Environmental Integrity Project:
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RGGI Meeting Notice:
NOTICE OF REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INITIATIVE, INC.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Friday, December 2, 2022
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
The Board of Directors of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc. (RGGI, Inc.) will meet on Dec. 2, 2022 at 4:00 PM ET. The meeting will be held via teleconference. Members of the public are invited to listen to the meeting proceedings.
Meeting Details
The primary agenda items will be approval of the 2023 RGGI, Inc. Budget, RGGI, Inc. Executive Committee elections, and an update on RGGI, Inc. milestones. An agenda and any meeting materials will be circulated prior to the call and posted at rggi.org.
Registration/Teleconference Details:
Members of the public are asked to register in advance of the meeting. Please register for the meeting by using this registration link. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email and a link to join the meeting. Note that participants will be able to dial into the meeting via phone. Dial-in information will be included in the meeting agenda.
For more information on the RGGI, Inc. Board of Directors meeting, please see Guidelines on RGGI, Inc. Board of Directors Meetings.
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RGGI Report Available:
Q3 2022 Secondary Market Report
Report Now Available at: Q3 2022 Secondary Market Report
November 22, 2022 – The independent market monitor for the RGGI market continues to find no evidence of anticompetitive conduct in the RGGI CO2 allowance secondary market, according to the Report on the Secondary Market for RGGI CO2 Allowances: Third Quarter 2022, released today.
Prepared by Potomac Economics, the report contains information on the secondary market for RGGI CO2 allowances, including futures prices, market activity, and allowance holdings.
The Report on the Secondary Market for RGGI CO2 Allowances: Third Quarter 2022 is part of Potomac’s ongoing monitoring of the RGGI auctions and the secondary markets where CO2 allowances are traded. The report, which addresses the period from July through September 2022, is based on data reported to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and Nodal Exchange, as well as other data.
About Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
The Eastern states participating in the fifth RGGI control period have implemented the first mandatory market-based regulatory program in the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
RGGI is composed of individual CO2 budget trading programs in each state, based on each state’s independent legal authority. A CO2 allowance represents a limited authorization to emit one short ton of CO2, as issued by a respective state. A regulated power plant must provide CO2 allowances equal to its emissions for each three-year control period. RGGI’s fifth control period began on January 1, 2021 and extends through December 31, 2023. For more information visit www.rggi.org.
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IN OTHER NEWS:
CODE ORANGE TODAY: Air pollution alert issued for Mon Valley for Wednesday
An air pollution watch for the Mon Valley has been issued for Wednesday, when forecast conditions indicate that tiny particles known as PM2.5 will likely exceed the 24-hour standard. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared an Air Quality Action Day by issuing a code orange for the Liberty-Clairton area. Very light southwest winds, under 5 mph, and a strong late night and morning inversion will allow concentrations of fine particle matter pollution to increase. Particulate matter concentrations will be highest between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Dimock Pa. residents, prosecutors and a utility met to discuss contaminated drinking water
Dimock residents were briefed on the plan Monday night at a meeting with Pennsylvania American Water and high-level officials in the state attorney general’s office, which is pursuing criminal charges against the drilling company blamed for polluting Dimock’s aquifer. Residents declined comment Monday night as they left the meeting at a high school near Dimock, saying they’d been instructed by a prosecutor not to talk. Pennsylvania American, meanwhile, was involved in the state’s aborted 2010 effort to connect the residents of Dimock to an existing municipal water system about 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) away. A dozen years ago, state environmental regulators secured nearly $12 million in financing for the project — and pledged to sue Cabot to recoup the money — but were forced to back down under legal threat from the company and local officials, who called it a boondoggle. Instead, Cabot agreed to pay residents a total of $4.1 million and install individual water treatment systems.
Guest Essay: PA Politicians Capitalizing On Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine To Benefit Natural Gas Industry
There are multiple problems with the PhillyPort LNG export proposal. The first and most glaring issue is that the Governor and some legislators are heading out the door for good, yet they signed Act 133 of 2022 into law because they will not face or bear the consequences of their actions, in contrast to their constituents across Pennsylvania, particularly in communities already burdened by industrial impacts. Second, and more crucially, this export proposal repeats the same refrain that Pennsylvanians have been fed for years — that our communities must “sacrifice” for some elusive goal of “energy independence” that has never come to fruition. First, it was energy independence from the SW Asia and North Africa region (“SWANA”, also known as the Middle East). Now, it’s Russia. After more than a decade of fracked gas extraction and production in Pennsylvania, the pattern has been clear: in order to keep investor money flowing into fracked gas operations, fracked gas companies sought to keep drilling. This resulted in a glut of natural gas and, in turn, historically drove down natural gas prices domestically, making fracked gas operations even less profitable. The industry’s answer to that situation has been more industrial buildout: plastics and petrochemical production, new and expanded pipelines, LNG exports, and now hydrogen, among other end products.
Pennsylvania boosts carbon capture research with investment in state geological survey
Assistant State Geologist Kris Carter said there will be limitations, such as cost and access. “Not every place that may have storage or prospective storage beneath it is necessarily going to be used for that because there might be competing uses or land use management constraints above ground,” she said. Carter said companies will also need to consider pressure constraints in the rock and whether any old gas wells in the area could compromise storage. Companies planning to make hydrogen from natural gas would need to find a way to capture and store the resulting carbon dioxide for the hydrogen to be considered clean.
PA DEP proposes emergency maneuver to enact gas well emissions rule — and save millions in highway funds
In a last-ditch effort to avoid losing millions of dollars in federal highway funds, Pennsylvania’s environmental regulators are seeking to push through an emergency regulation that would bypass opposition in the state Legislature. At stake is more than $800 million in federal highway funding that would not be released to Pennsylvania if the state blows past a Dec. 16 deadline to regulate emissions from existing oil and gas wells. The emergency regulation will need the approval of the Environmental Quality Board, which has set a meeting for Nov. 30 to vote on the measure, and a signature from the governor to go into effect. If successful, it would obviate an effort by Republicans on the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee to launch a legislative review of the emissions rule. Last week, the committee’s chairman, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, held a last-minute vote on a disapproval letter. That triggered a 14-day review period that allows the committee to meet and vote on a resolution to stop the regulation. The rulemaking is already years overdue.
