PA Environment Digest Blog: Conventional Oil Well Storage Tank Rupture Causes 2,100 Gallon Spill Of Wastewater, Crude Oil In Upper Burrell Twp., Westmoreland County

On April 24, 2025, DEP was notified of a spill at the Chabal 2 conventional oil well site in Upper Burrell Township, Westmoreland County owned by Dakota Oil & Gas Company.

Arriving the same day, DEP found a valve on a wastewater storage tank failed and was “ejected” from the tank resulting in the release of an estimated 2,100 gallons of wastewater and crude oil from the tank, according to a representative of Penneco Oil.

A representative of Penneco Oil was at the site during the inspection.

The mixture traveled down slope from the tank for about 210 feet until it was “stopped by a fallen tree” from getting into any bodies of water.

Absorbent material and booms were in place along a path of “brown staining” from the release to help cleanup the waste and preventing it from traveling any further.

DEP also detected natural gas and crude oil odors at the site.

Multiple violations were issued by DEP.

A response to the violations was requested by May 13.

“This response should include an incident report, a timeline, the regulation substance involved, where the spill or release occur, the environmental media affected, any impacts to water supplies, buildings, or utilities, and interim actions planned, initiated, or completed.

“The Department is requesting how the operator quantified the amount spilled.

“Any new impacts discovered or identified during interim remedial actions or site characterization should also be reported to the Department within 15 calendar days of discovery.

“Within 180 days of the spill or release the operator must perform a site characterization to determine the extent and magnitude of the contamination and submit the site characterization report to the undersigned.

“The operator shall assess impacts to waters of the Commonwealth from the spill or release.” DEP inspection report.

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.

(Photos: Row 1-- Wastewater, crude oil leak from tank; Row 2- Tree that stopped the release going down slope; absorbent booms placed along the brown stained path of spill.)

[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.]

Resource Link:

-- 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]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 26 to May 2: Contaminated Livestock Water Supply; Ruptured Gathering Pipeline; Failure To Comply With Shale Gas Well Plugging Order [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - May 3 [PaEN]

-- DEP Received Air Quality Permit For 4.6 Gigawatt Homer City Generation Natural Gas Power Plant For Data Center In Indiana County [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 77 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In May 3 PA Bulletin [PaEN]