DEP said Laurel Mountain Production also never complied with the basic requirement to register the impoundment with the agency since it was constructed in 2017 as required by state regulations.
Photos from the April 15 inspection show the impoundment contains an unknown quantity of water. The impoundment was certainly built to hold over 1 million gallons gallons of water.
This is the second abandoned shale gas water impoundment DEP has taken action against this month. Read more here.
The Stacey Road Impoundment, located on part of a reclaimed surface coal mine, was issued a GP-2 Erosion and Sedimentation General Permit on April 11, 2017 to construct the facility. It was completed by August 2017, according to DEP eFACTs records.
DEP’s April 15, 2025 inspection report said the impoundment was only used for about 9 months, until May 12, 2018 when it was last used as a source of water for fracking shale gas wells on the Glacial well pad.
Impoundments like this must be restored no later than 9 months after their final use, which in this case would have been by February 12, 2019.
DEP said it denied a request to terminate its erosion and sedimentation permit in 2019 because Laurel Mountain failed to submit deed instruments to alert future buyers of the property of post-construction stormwater management best management practices constructed for the site.
The erosion and sedimentation permit expired on April 11, 2022 without the site being restored.
DEP requested a response to the violations issued in the April 15 inspection report by May 7, 2025 and asked the company to indicate the future plans for this site.
DEP previously inspected the impoundment on--
-- December 23, 2024, no violations, but the inspection report noted the impoundment is required to be restored if it is not going to be used for future frack water. DEP inspection report.
-- February 15, 2019, no violations, but the inspection report said the notice to terminate its erosion and sedimentation permit was denied for failure to submit deed instruments. DEP inspection report.
-- January 19, 2018, no violations. DEP inspection report.
-- August 3, 2017, routine inspection, no violations, construction being completed. DEP inspection report.
-- July 5, 2017, preoperational inspection, no violations. DEP inspection report.
-- June 20, 2017, preoperational inspection, no violations. DEP inspection report.
-- June 6, 2017, preoperational inspection, no violations. DEP inspection report.
Laurel Mountain Production holds 29 permits for shale gas well pads, water withdrawals, and water pipelines, according to eFACTS.
2nd Abandoned Impoundment
This is the second abandoned shale gas water impoundment DEP has taken action against this month.
On April 1, 2025, the Department of Environmental Protection inspected the Winner 6 shale gas well pad and 3 million gallon water impoundment in East Keating Township, Clinton County owned by Frontier Natural Resources and found the pad and impoundment had not been restored.
DEP issued the original permit for the well site and impoundment in October 2011.
DEP issued the original violations for failure to restore the well pad and the water impoundment on July 14, 2017-- eight years ago. 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.
[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.]
A Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 12 to 25: Another Abandoned Shale Gas Water Impoundment; 18 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Exposed Gas Pipeline Crosses Stream [PaEN]
-- DEP: Abandoned Shale Gas Water Impoundment Not Used For 7 Years Cited For Not Being Restored In Clarion County [PaEN]
-- Conventional Oil & Gas Facility Owners Must Now File A Methane Emissions Compliance Report By June 1, 2025 Required By A 2022 DEP Methane Pollution Reduction Rule As A Result Of Court Settlement [PaEN]
-- DEP To Hold May 1 Virtual Update On State Response To Energy Transfer/Sunoco Twin Oaks Pipeline Leak In Bucks County [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - April 19 [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - April 26 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 96 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 19 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 77 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 26 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- PublicSourceNews.org: Setback On Setbacks: PA Environmental Quality Board Tables Consideration Of New Limits On Drilling Near Building, Water Sources
-- Farm & Dairy: PA Environmental Board Delays Vote On Petition To Increase Shale Gas Well Setbacks
-- Post-Gazette Letter: I Applaud Bucks County Commissioners Who Had The Guts To Challenge The Natural Gas Industry For Contributing To Climate Crisis - Cat Lodge, Washington County Resident
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission: Low Stream Flows Trigger Restrictions On 29 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 58 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In March; 142 In 2025 [PaEN]
-- Environmental Health Project Launches AirView Public, New App To Help Communities Protect Residents From Oil & Gas Pollution; Communities Can Join Today [PaEN]
-- PUC Hearing On Data Center Growth Impacts Finds 30-40% Of Utility Demand Could Be From Data Centers; Concerns About Stranded Costs; Major Commitments To Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Energy Use [PaEN]
-- Reuters: FERC Denies Rehearing On Colocated Amazon Data Center Energy Pact In Luzrne County
-- House, Senate Members Introduce Gov. Shapiro's 'Lightning' Energy Plan To Lower Energy Costs, Create Jobs, Protect Pennsylvania From Global Energy Instability [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro: FERC Approves Settlement With PJM To Prevent Unnecessary Prices Hikes, Save Consumers Over $21 Billion On Electric Bills [PaEN]
-- Utility Dive: Ratepayer Advocates: FERC Should Order PJM To Rerun Last Electricity Capacity Auction; Could Lead To $5 Billion In Consumer Savings
-- New Report: Fixing PJM’s Broken Electric Generation Approval Process Can Lower Energy Costs, Create Jobs Across The Mid-Atlantic [PaEN]
-- North American Electric Reliability Corp. Files Proposed Cold Weather Standard To Improve Reliability For Natural Gas-fired, Other Electric Generators [PaEN]
-- DEP Releases 2024 Climate Change Action Plan Update; 2024 Climate Impacts Assessment Report [PaEN]
-- Eleven Coal, Coal-Waste Power Plants In Pennsylvania Now Covered By Presidential Exemption From 2024 Mercury, Hazardous Air Pollutant Regulation For 2 Years [PaEN]
-- AP-Marc Levy: Big Tech’s Soaring Energy Demands Are Making Coal-Fired Power Plant Sites Attractive [Not Necessarily The Plants Themselves]
-- PUC Commissioners Urge Congressional Action To Preserve $19 Million In Remaining LIHEAP Funds For PA This Year [PaEN]
-- Energy Association Of PA [Utilities] Calls For Protection Of LIHEAP Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
-- PUC Announces May 6, 7 Hearings On Proposed 15.7% Rate Increase For Philadelphia Gas Works [PaEN]
-- PUC To Investigate Proposed 11.4% Increase In Columbia Gas Natural Gas Rate [PaEN]
-- Warren Times: Instead Of ‘Drill, Baby, Drill,’ US Rig Counts Falling, Layoffs Increasing
-- Financial Times: President’s Tariff Talk Roils US Oil, Gas Industry In Bedrock Republican Territory
-- The Economist: America Won’t Be Able To Bully The World Into Buying More US Natural Gas
-- E&ENews/Politico: President’s Push For More LNG Gas Exports Risks Domestic Price Surge
-- Financial Times: Growth In Oil Demand Expected To Slow Sharply As A Result Of President’s Tariffs
-- Financial Times: China Stopped Buying US LNG Gas Feb. 6 Due To Trade War
-- Marcellus Drilling News: EIA Annual Energy Outlook: Oil And Natural Gas Demand Peaks In 2027 and 2032 [PDF of Article]
[Posted: April 23, 2025] PA Environment Digest
No comments :
Post a Comment