Controversial billboard depicting contaminated water comes down

The Sautners from Dimock put up a billboard that has a picture of their dirty water and the words “FIX IT” on Rt. 29 in the heart of Cabot Oil & Gas territory. As soon as it went up, they held a press conference.  Angry pro-gas neighbors were also there –  and Cabot spokesman George Stark.

Read the details here: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/controversial-billboard-depicting-contaminated-water-comes-down-1.1184658#axzz1UBDbLfOQ

“Gasland”

GASLAND
An INTERNATIONAL WOW COMPANY PRODUCTION
SELECTED FOR SUNDANCE

http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/GASLANDPRESSRELEASE.pdf

Seeing Gas Drilling’s Ugly Side Firsthand

The following is a blog – a personal perspective –  on visiting Dimock, PA and seeing for the first time gas drilling’s impact on that area. After taking the last couple of weekends to travel around PA to see this sort of thing for myself I know how scary and powerful it can be. This blog is well done and I wanted to share it with all of you. Thanks for the link Anne!

Visiting Dimock, Seeing Gas Drilling’s Ugly Side Firsthand

Kate Sinding

Senior Attorney, New York City

Posted April 15, 2010 in Curbing Pollution

Like so many who have been following controversial gas drilling issues in the Northeast’s Marcellus Shale region (the geological formation that stretches from West Virginia to upstate New York), I have been hearing and reading about, and seeing images of, Dimock, PA for the past roughly year-and-a-half.  For those not in the know, Dimock has become the unfortunate poster child for all that can go wrong when industrial gas drilling in the Marcellus isn’t adequately regulated and companies make mistakes.  Residents have experienced the wide array of adverse effects associated with shale gas production – many of them, it should be noted, inherent in the activity even under the best of circumstances. These impacts include: exploding water wells, contaminated water supplies necessitating daily fresh water deliveries (complete with home invasion in order to accept the regular deliveries), rural landscapes utterly transformed into industrial zones, constant diesel fumes, 24-hour-a-day traffic and noise that literally shakes the walls of homes.

I finally had the opportunity to visit Dimock in person earlier this week.  This is the first of a series of posts that I’ll file giving some of my impressions.  I’m doing this not because I have something new or unique to offer, but because the experience so affected me.  And the people who invited me into their homes deserve to have their stories told. I have been working on the Marcellus Shale gas drilling issue for about two-and-a-half years, but as much as I have read, listened to stories, seen photos and video footage and talked about the potential adverse impacts, nothing can compare to seeing, hearing and smelling them live….

Only when you’re standing in the front yard of someone’s dream home – which was once surrounded only by their residential neighbors and farms – and see, hear, smell and feel the vibrations of the incessant truck traffic that passes at all hours of the day and night can you truly understand how transformative it is when gas production arrives in a community.  Only when you hear the constant industrial noise from every direction as new well pads are cleared, well bores drilled and then fracked – noise that likewise exists around the clock – can you comprehend how those whose lives have already been turned upside down by drilling gone wrong can never escape the constant auditory reminders.  And only when you stand in the backyard of a family who moved to the beautiful Dimock countryside after their last home burned to the ground and see the well pads to both their immediate left and right does it become clear that – even if everything had gone “right” – this family now lives in an industrial zone….

To read the full blog, see photos and read others’ reactions to the blog, click here:

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ksinding/visiting_dimock_seeing_gas_dri.html

Backlash to Natural Gas

The pictures did not carry through with this article but you get the idea by reading it. Our water supplies are at risk and hydraulic fracturing is too new a technology to really be sure what may or may not happen. (This is not news to many of us living in shale country) There is a lot of info and history laid out in this article and it is worth the time it takes to read it. Exxon (who now owns XTO Energy) has been lobbying in Washington this week because they do not want Congress changing the drilling regulations in regards to the Safe Drinking Water Act.

DRILLING TACTIC UNLEASHES  a TROVE of NATURAL GAS – AND a BACKLASH // WSJ 1/21/10

SHREVEPORT, La.—A mounting backlash against a technique used in natural-gas drilling is threatening to slow development of the huge gas fields that some hope will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and polluting coal.
The U.S. energy industry says there is enough untapped domestic natural gas to last a century—but getting to that gas requires injecting millions of gallons of water into the ground to crack open the dense rocks holding the deposits. The process, known as hydraulic fracturing, has turned gas deposits in shale formations into an energy bonanza.

The industry’s success has triggered increasing debate over whether the drilling process could pollute freshwater supplies. Federal and state authorities are considering action that could regulate hydraulic fracturing, potentially making drilling less profitable and giving companies less reason to tap into this ample supply of natural gas.
Exxon Mobil Corp. placed itself squarely in the middle of the wrangling when it agreed last month to pay $29 billion for gas producer XTO Energy Inc., a fracturing pioneer. Wary of the rising outcry, Exxon negotiated the right to back out of its deal if Congress passes a law to make hydraulic fracturing illegal or “commercially impracticable.”
On Wednesday, Exxon Chairman and Chief Executive Rex Tillerson faced questions about the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing at a Capitol Hill hearing on the merger.
“We can now find and produce unconventional natural-gas supplies miles below the surface in a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner,” Mr. Tillerson told members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Criticism of hydraulic fracturing was muted at the hearing, with most representatives focusing on the potential benefits of increased gas use. But the merger has given drilling opponents a new target.
“It puts Exxon at front and center of this whole issue,” said Michael Passoff, associate director of As You Sow, an environmental-minded investment group.
Even before the Exxon-XTO deal, the controversy over hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking” or “fracing,” was growing.
Oilmen were injecting water into wells to free up valuable oil and gas as far back as the 1940s. But in the past decade the technique has really taken off. First in East Texas and in the outskirts of Fort Worth, companies began pumping water under enormous pressure to see if they could break open dense shale-rock formations to release gas.

These initial efforts were largely welcomed by communities, with homeowners and landlords often receiving lucrative checks for the mineral rights that allowed companies to drill on their land.
When early efforts succeeded, the companies began running bigger fracturing jobs, using more water and higher pressure—and in turn searching for even more gas-bearing shale deposits.
This took the gas industry into places where drilling was less common in modern times, including downtown Fort Worth, northeastern Pennsylvania and within the city limits of Shreveport, La.
Hydraulic fracturing and some other technology improvements have created a way to tap a domestic fuel source that has proved abundant. U.S. natural-gas production has risen about 20% since 2005 in large part because of these developments, making gas a much bigger player in energy-policy planning.
Natural gas heats more than half of U.S. homes and generates a fifth of America’s electricity, far less than coal, which provides the U.S. with nearly half its power. The industry and its allies are promoting natural gas a bridge fuel to help wean the U.S. off coal, which emits more global-warming gases, and imported oil until renewable fuels are able to meet the demand.
What most worries environmentalists isn’t the water in the fracturing process—it’s the chemicals mixed in the water to reduce friction, kill bacteria and prevent mineral buildup. The chemicals make up less than 1% of the overall solution, but some are hazardous in low concentrations.
Today, the industry estimates that 90% of all new gas wells are fractured. Shale—a dense, nonporous gas-bearing rock—won’t release its gas unless it is cracked open, and other types of formations also produce more gas when fractured. Easier, more porous formations, which don’t require fracturing, were tapped in earlier decades and have largely dried up.
As the industry has honed its techniques, hydraulic-fracturing operations have become more complex, requiring far more water and chemicals—millions of gallons per well, rather than tens or hundreds of thousands of gallons in the past.
Environmentalists and some community activists fear hydraulic fracturing could contaminate drinking-water supplies. They point to recent incidents that they say are linked to fracturing, including a water-well explosion in Dimock, Pa., and a chemical spill here in Shreveport.
The industry says fracturing is safe and argues that there have been only a handful of incidents among the millions of wells that have been fractured over the past 50 years. “Hydraulic fracturing has been used since the 1940s in more than one million wells in the United States. It’s safe and effective,” says Exxon spokeswoman Cynthia Bergman.
Even if the industry can make its case, it still must deal with the public-relations and political fallout from some of the questionable incidents.
On a recent Friday morning, a crew from Cudd Energy Services worked to fracture a Chesapeake Energy Corp. well in Caddo Parish, La., the heart of the Haynesville Shale gas field. While cattle chewed grass in a field across the street, a team of Chesapeake and Cudd employees monitored computer readouts as 21 diesel-powered pumps forced nearly 3,800 gallons of water a minute down a well that reached two miles into the earth.
It is a process Chesapeake says it has learned how to do both efficiently and safely. “We’ve done it 10,000 times in the company’s history without incident,” said Aubrey McClendon, Chesapeake’s chairman and chief executive officer, in a separate interview.
But in a coffee shop in nearby Shreveport, Caddo Parish Commissioner Matthew Linn said he had concerns after more than a dozen cows died during a Chesapeake Energy fracturing operation last year. A preliminary investigation linked the deaths to chemicals that spilled off the well site into a nearby pasture. A Chesapeake spokesman says the company compensated the cattle’s owner and has taken steps to prevent a similar incident in the future.
“I’m all for drilling, and I want to get the gas out from underneath us,” Mr. Linn said. “But at the same time, how do you balance human life and quality of life and clean water against that?”
Natural-gas companies say what’s at work is fear of the new. “When you introduce something like hydraulic fracturing in a part of the country that hasn’t had any experience with it, I think it’s natural for there to be questions about the procedure,” says Mr. McClendon.
Regardless, the industry faces a real prospect of tightened rules that could make it harder, or impractical, to use hydraulic fracturing. In June, congressional Democrats introduced legislation that would regulate fracturing at the federal level for the first time. The bills remain in committee. In October, the house formally asked the Environmental Protection Agency to study the risks posed by fracturing.
Several states, including Colorado, Pennsylvania and New York, have either passed or are considering tightening regulations on fracturing and related activities. Members of the House of Representatives pushing for new legislation argue that federal oversight is needed to protect water supplies because state regulations vary widely.
The industry worries that new regulations would hurt the thin margins on many gas wells and cut the financial incentive to tap the U.S.’s vast supply of gas. “There is an anticipation that more federal oversight would add enough costs to make it uneconomical, even it wasn’t outright prohibited,” said Gary Adams, vice chairman of Deloitte LLP’s oil and gas consulting division.
Already, the growing concerns about the practice are causing some companies to rethink where they drill. Chesapeake last fall publicly abandoned plans to drill in the watershed that provides New York City with its drinking water after opposition from city officials and others who feared a spill could contaminate the water. Talisman Energy Inc. is shifting its drilling effort away from New York as well.
There have been attempts to regulate fracturing before. The 1974 Safe Water Drinking Act regulated wells that injected liquids underground. The federal courts ruled the law covered fracturing in a 1990s lawsuit from Alabama. But the technique was exempted from federal oversight in the 2005 Energy Bill.
Some argue there is little really known about whether fracturing poses a genuine risk to water supplies. Hannah Wiseman, a visiting law professor at the University of Texas, Austin, says tighter regulation may be warranted. “There just isn’t enough information out there right now about the effects,” she said.
Some of the potential threats are clearer than others, however. Gas-bearing shale formations typically lie a mile or more below the surface, with thousands of feet of nonporous rock separating them from even the deepest freshwater aquifers.
Most people agree that means that if a fracturing job is done correctly, it would be virtually impossible for water or chemicals to seep upward into drinking water supplies.
The industry argues that there has never been a proven case of water contamination caused by fracturing. But regulators have tied multiple incidents to oil and gas drilling more generally. Environmental groups point out that wells aren’t always constructed properly. Moreover, they say, storage ponds that hold chemical-laced water after fracturing is complete can overflow, and trucks carrying chemicals can crash.
A poorly sealed well is the alleged cause of gas escaping into an underground aquifer in Dimock, Pa. Gas also built up in one resident’s water well, causing an explosion in January 2009.
The company that drilled the wells, Cabot Oil & Gas, paid a $120,000 fine to settle the matter with the state, but has denied responsibility for the contamination and says fracturing couldn’t have been the cause.
“I could never sell this house now,” said Dimock resident Craig Sautner, who now has drinking water shipped to him by Cabot. “Our pristine water that we used to have? It’s done.”
Whether it is the act of fracturing itself or the risk of contamination from related activities is somewhat beside the point, says Amy Mall, a senior policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group that has raised concerns about fracturing. “Ultimately it’s semantics. Somebody’s water got contaminated,” she says.
Still, for Exxon, the hearings this week presented an opportunity to highlight its investment in developing U.S. energy supplies and creating jobs. Most of its investments in recent years have been overseas. And Exxon executives usually face congressional grilling only when oil and gasoline prices skyrocket.
“This should probably be a very pleasant change of pace for Exxon Mobil because it’s not going to be an argument about high oil and gasoline prices,” says William Hederman, an energy analyst with Washington research firm Concept Capital.

—Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article.

A Pennsylvania resident’s thoughts on natural gas

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/energy-environment/08fracking.html

Below are some thoughts and sentiments of a fellow concerned PA resident in regards to the above article. She wishes to remain anonymous but I felt her thoughts were worth copying down here.

“If Cabot has proof that the wells had methane issues BEFORE the drilling commenced, well, show us the data. See, baseline water quality testing works both ways.  But if there weren’t prior problems, then it defies logic that the drilling didn’t have something to do with it when big problems popped up (heck, blew up) AFTER the drilling.

The proper response of a responsible drilling company would not be to deny it on high like Cabot did.  It would have been to admit that something unexpected happened and to aggressively investigate it using their technical experts.  That is the scientific approach.  After all, how many experiments haven’t turned out exactly as you planned, yet analysis of the failure helped you design a better approach?  Unfortunately here, the “experiment” impacts a precious commodity– drinking water.”

I feel that the above concept (trying something new, experimenting, and then when it doesn’t work out right, correcting it to make it better) shouldn’t be so difficult to adhere to any viable business plan. The problem seems to be that so many corporate industries (another good example would be the food industry) chooses to attempt to change laws and regulations instead of fixing their system when it doesn’t work. AND they spend millions of dollars doing this when it almost seems that they could spend less money long-term by just figuring out what actually works.

“One theory is that there are prior existing natural faults in the Marcellus that are allowing more migration than expected.  Have the geologists take a closer look!  But then there has to be some ruling that prevents drilling in areas that have this type of pre-existing geology that can cause problems.

It is only because the PA DEP put pressure (& fines) on Cabot that Cabot was willing to do anything to help remedy these people’s water problem.

The Binghamton Sun & Press Bulletin carried an AP story months earlier that touched on this “Appalachia” theme.  That story pointed out that the Dimock people were some of the first to sign leases (at much lower rates, ~ $50 – $250 / acre).  They have received very little money or royalties from this (contrary to Gov. Rendell’s claim).  What little money they have received has been spent (& then some) trying to remedy the water issues now.  That was in contrast to a land owners association just across the NYS line from Dimock.  They & NYS have slowed it down, to try investigating the claims & potential problems and maximize benefits.

It is apparent that the industry will not change without pressure.  Pardon the pun there.  And as the article points out below, they can’t get away with mistakes or accidents here on the East coast like they think they have out west because of our higher population density.

That’s why I was so alarmed when the Fortuna representative said, “Hey that’s the way we do the operations, and if you don’t like that, well then tough, because we aren’t going to change the way we do it.”

Getting the water in your well tested?

If you are having a gas well put in on your property, I hope you are also having the water in your well tested prior to any drilling. Despite the costly manner of having your well water tested I would say that it should be a mandatory procedure. A basic test can be anywhere from $300.00 to $1,000.00. If you live next to someone else who is having a well put on their property you should also seriously consider having your well water tested.

There has been some discussion and worries about what sort of metals of chemicals and toxins should be tested for and who should/can to do the tests. Seewald laboratories out of Williampsort, PA offers well water testing that covers all the basic tests AND the procedures used by Seewald to test the water are acceptable and will hold up in a court of law. If you are using some of the other “mom & pop” testing companies who may not always follow all the correct procedures, such as “chain of custody”, or doing it yourself (which can be much more affordable – $80.00) the chances of the test being useful for a court case is pretty insignificant. The phone number for Seewald is 570.326.4001. If you think the chance of needing to take the gas company drilling on your land, or your neighbors, is not likely, check out this link.

http://www.topix.com/com/cog

Penn State Cooperative Extention has published this, which you might find useful if you are wanting more information about water well contamination, what’s in the ground that can get in your well and water testing.

http://resources.cas.psu.edu/WaterResources/pdfs/gasdrilling.pdf

Taking Cabot to Court

http://www.startribune.com/business/70652327.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

Here is a bit of a follow up article from the Star Tribune about the folks who have the water pollution problems in Dimock, PA. Note that the same company, Cabot Oil & Gas, that had the spills in the Dunkard Creek area is the culprit here as well. (This company just seems to be terrible at what they do…) Much of the problem extends from the land owners not being aware of the possibility of gas migrations into their wells or homes, in part because the gas company choose to leave that important bit of information out of their spiel when encouraging land owners to sign leases. Who’s at fault? The gas company for not explaining and disclosing this info or the land owners for not being better educated about what drilling for natural gas entails? Whatever is decided, the people of Dimock, PA are most likely due some sort of retribution. I find it frustrating that a price tag can be placed on the value of people’s health and homes and that these companies have no problem paying folks off if they can. (Go check out  Split Estate if you haven’t yet) Honestly, I think Cabot Oil & Gas needs to throw in the towel and go find some other business to venture in. They seem to be wrought with problems due to negligence, greed and incompetence in everything they do! I mean, if you can’t get the ball in the hoop, don’t play basketball for a living.

Cabot Oil & Gas get the “OK” to go back to work

http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/news/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=549265

An update on what’s going on with Cabot Oil & Gas since they were told to stop drilling by the DEP.

Northcentral Regional Office of DEP Report for Sept 28th-Oct 2nd

NORTHCENTRAL REGIONAL OFFICE-WILLIAMSPORT

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28-OCTOBER 2, 2009

Issues Requiring the Governor’s (or Governor’s staff) ACTION

Nothing new to report

Issues Requiring the Governor’s (or Governor’s staff) ATTENTION

Nothing new to report

Management and Productivity

Nothing new to report

Recovery Activities

Nothing new to report

What’s Hot/Major Actions

Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. Spill, Dimock Township, Susquehanna County: On Sept. 24, the Oil and Gas program issued an order to Cabot requiring the company to cease the hydro fracking of any wells in Susquehanna County until the company completes a number of important engineering and safety tasks.  The order requires Cabot to develop within 14 days an updated and accurate Preparedness, Prevention and Contingency Plan and Control and Disposal Plan for all permitted well pad sites in Susquehanna County. The company must conduct an engineering study of all equipment and work practices associated with hydraulic fracturing at all well sites in the county within 21 days. Cabot also must place the approved Preparedness, Prevention and Contingency Plan and Control and Disposal Plan in a conspicuous location at each permitted well site and provide a copy to each contractor and subcontractor working at any well site. Contractors and subcontractors cannot begin work at any well site until they receive the two plans.  (Jennifer Means 570-321-6557)

TerrAqua Resource Management LLC Public Hearing, City of Williamsport, Lycoming County: On Sept. 30, a public hearing was held by DEP’s Water Management program to receive testimony regarding TerrAqua’s draft NPDES industrial wastewater permit. The company wants to construct a plant to treat gas well drilling wastewater.  This public hearing follows a public meeting that was held July 8, which generated significant public interest and comment.  About 60 people attended the public hearing with 12 people providing oral testimony.  Clean Water Action was the only statewide environmental group that provided testimony.  DEP will continue to accept written testimony and comments regarding this permit application through Oct. 7.  (Robert Hawley 570-327-0530)

Northeastern ITS LLC, Mercer, Venango, Clarion, Jefferson, Clearfield, Centre, Union, Snyder, Northumberland, Columbia, Schuylkill, Lehigh and Northampton Counties: The Pa. Bulletin notice for the Chapter 102 permit application was published Sept. 26 for this fiber optic line project.  AECOM, consultant for Northeastern ITS, continues to update the mapping for the Chapter 102 permit application.  One such update now includes a portion of Columbia County.  This change will necessitate a revised notice to the Pa. Bulletin.  NWRO has not received any revised Chapter 105 applications.  (John Twardowski 570-321-6523)

Emergency Response, Pine Creek Township, Clinton County: On Sept. 22, Emergency Response Manager Gerald McKernan responded to a residual waste spill along Pa. Route 220 in Pine Creek Township.  A Dirt Inc. truck was transporting gas drilling fines from a Chesapeake gas well in Bradford County to the Clinton County Solid Waste Authority in Wayne Township.  For an unknown reason, the truck lost the entire load from the Avis exit of Route 220 to the landfill in Wayne Township.  The local fire department was washing the residual waste from the road surface until requested to stop.  PennDOT then used a street sweeper to remove the sludge from the road surface.  Eagle Towing and Recovery was hired to remove the residue from the shoulder of the road.  Appalachian Utilities has a drinking water well in the immediate vicinity supplying Avis Borough and Pine Creek Township.  The incident was referred to the Waste Management program for follow up.  (Gerald McKernan 570-327-3722)

Potential Problems/Potential Major Actions

Watrous Water Association, Gaines Township, Tioga County: Water Supply Management program staff continue to deal with the Watrous Water Association regarding its community water system.  The association board discontinued use of the Benaur Spring since there was no disinfection on that source.  The property owners of the land where the spring is located stated that they will not allow the association to use their land to provide power or construct buildings in order for disinfection to occur.  The association has reverted to using Hanky Panky Spring as its sole source, which is also under the influence of surface water and needs to either be abandoned or filtered.  Exceedingly high water use due to seasonal use of homes and cabins on the system has caused problems meeting the demand.  A number of association board members have threatened to resign and have told a number of system customers that they should be drilling individual wells.  Watrous Water Association has neither the financial nor managerial capabilities to run a community water system.  DEP staff will continue to work with the association though it appears a compliance document will ultimately be needed to keep the association moving in a positive manner to comply with our regulations.  (John Hamilton 570-327-3650)

Good News/Major Accomplishments

Sewage Connection Limitations Lifted, Moshannon Valley Joint Sewer Authority, Centre County: In 2002, Moshannon Valley Joint Sewer Authority and its tributary communities of Morris, Rush, and Decatur Townships, and Chester Hill and Philipsburg Boroughs were placed on sewage planning restrictions.  The sewage treatment plant was hydraulically and organically overloaded, experienced bypasses, and had multiple effluent violations.  Most of the problems were associated with excessive inflow/infiltration entering the collection systems in the respective municipalities.  Through consent orders and agreements with each of the tributary municipalities, the collections systems were rehabilitated to eliminated the excessive inflow/infiltration.  The flows have been greatly reduced, no effluent violations have been reported for at least two years, and the treatment plant is no longer in an existing or projected overload.  On Sept. 28, the Water Management program lifted the planning restrictions.  (Robert Boos 570-327-3399)

M.W. Farmer Co., South Williamsport Borough, Lycoming County: On Sept. 23, the Waste Management program received the final payment of a $48,000 civil penalty issued to the M.W. Farmer Co. for residual waste violations.  The civil penalty was part of a November 2005 consent order and agreement with Farmer to correct residual waste violations that included accepting and storing residual waste associated with the removal and salvaging of underground storage tanks, and the acceptance and storage of waste oil, which requires a permit from DEP, at the company’s property in South Williamsport. (James E. Miller 570-327-3431)

Casella Waste Management of New York Inc., Ulysses Township, Potter County:  On Sept. 24, the Waste Management program finalized a $3,000 civil penalty with Casella Waste Management of New York Inc. for waste transporter violations noted during an Aug. 26 waste vehicle inspection at the Potter County Transfer Station.  Casella operated two waste transportation vehicles that lacked the required sign to identify the type of solid waste being transported.  (James E. Miller 570-327-3431)

On-Lot Sewage Crisis, Lycoming Sanitary Committee, Lycoming County: The committee relies on an 85 percent state grant to cover operating expenses. Because of the budget impasse and the early depletion of allocated funds under the previous budget, the committee is currently operating on a $150,000 line of credit from a local bank that is projected to run out on Sept. 25. This is in addition to the 2008 state reimbursement of $260,000 that it is still waiting to receive for the previous year’s expenses. The board had voted to permanently close down the agency if it doesn’t get the state reimbursement by Sept. 25.  UPDATE: During its meeting on Sept. 24, the board decided to keep the doors open until November when it will reevaluate staying in operation or closing and filing for bankruptcy.  The hope is that by November the state budget will be resolved, the grant program funded, and the 2008 reimbursement received. (Robert Boos 570-327-3399)

Outreach/Upcoming Events

Conservation District Roundtable, Northcentral Region: On Sept. 25, the Watershed Management program hosted the fall conservation district roundtable meeting with our conservation district partners.  Conservation district staff from 12 districts attended and heard reports and took part in discussion on the Lycoming County nutrient trading project; an update on the Oil and Gas program in the NCRO; increased activity in regional agricultural compliance; and an update from central office staff on the newly revised Chapter 102 erosion control regulations.  The group then divided into program specific breakout sessions to further discuss program issues with the respective program staff.  Two of these roundtable meetings are held each year to further increase the communication and close working relationship with our conservation districts and to exchange ideas and concerns on specific issues.  (David Garg 570-321-6581)

Green Career Day, Mt. Pisgah State Park, Bradford County: On Sept. 30, two Water Management biologists were invited for the fourth year in a row to set up a station at the Career Day for 8th graders from Tioga, Bradford and Sullivan Counties.  DEP was one of 21 agencies and green industries represented at the Career Day.  Students learned about the importance and variety of natural resource job opportunities that exist in the Northern Tier.  As in years past, the DEP station was very popular with around 32 students learning about fish capture techniques, fish identification and health and environmental conditions that affect fish populations.  Many questions were asked and interest was shown in a career with DEP. (Tom Randis 570-327-3781)

OSHA Refresher and General Safety Training, Northcentral Regional Office: On Sept. 23, Gerald McKernan, Jack Kernan, John Erich and Denny Wright conducted OSHA Refresher and General Safety Training to eleven NCRO employees.  The training provided employees with an overview of hazardous material safety procedures, Office of Administration, DEP’s and Field Operation’s safety policies, and basic standard operating procedures.  (Gerald McKernan 570-327-3722)

Table Top Exercise, City of Lock Haven, Clinton County: On Sept. 29, Emergency Response Manager Gerald McKernan participated in a table top exercise at the Clinton County Emergency Operations Center in Lock Haven.  The exercise was a fracking pipe failure resulting in a heating oil release and a brush fire at a well site in Grugan Township.  Other state agencies participating in the exercise were the State Police, PennDOT, PEMA, and DCNR, along with local emergency fire and medical services.  The exercise was managed by O’Brien’s Response Management and funded by Anadarko.  It was an excellent networking and learning experience for all participants.  Communication problems were the major issue due to the remoteness of the location, lack of cell service, satellite phone connectivity, and lack of radio communications by Anadarko with the county.  (Gerald McKernan 570-327-3722)

Act 2

Palmer Industrial Coatings Inc. Act 2 Site, Woodward Township, Lycoming County: Palmer Industrial Coatings was granted Act 2 relief of liability on Sept. 30 for soil contaminated with gasoline, diesel and heating oil.  The soil was remediated to meet Statewide Health Standards.  One 2000-gallon underground storage tank that previously held heating oil and two 1000-gallon tanks that previously held gasoline/diesel fuel were located onsite.  The tanks were removed starting in June 2008 by M.W. Farmer.  Soil was found to be contaminated with gasoline, diesel and heating oil constituents and was excavated.  Three confirmatory soil samples were taken below each tank for a total of nine samples.  All soil samples came back below DEP’s Statewide Health Standards.  About 74 tons of contaminated soil was disposed at Lycoming County Landfill.  (Randy L. Farmerie 570-327-3716)

Rainey Property Act 2 Site, Bell Township, Clearfield County: On Sept. 30, the Environmental Cleanup program approved an Act 2 Final Report that demonstrated attainment of the Site-Specific Standard for soil and groundwater.  In 1998, gasoline contaminated groundwater was discovered at a property across the road from the site.  DEP’s investigation revealed that the site was a former gasoline station and in the mid-1980s underground storage tanks were removed without closure sampling being conducted.  The property owner, Richard Rainey, refused to complete site characterization.  As a result, DEP issued an administrative order on Jan. 18, 2002.  Soil and groundwater characterization were completed for the site.  About 114 tons of contaminated soil was removed from the former tank pit area.  Sampling of soil and groundwater demonstrated attainment of the Site-Specific Standard.  (Randy Farmerie 570-327-3716)

FB Leopold Act 2 Site, Watsontown Borough and Delaware Township, Northumberland County: On Sept. 23, the Environmental Cleanup program approved the Act 2 Final Report for the attainment of a Non-Residential Statewide Health standard for soil and groundwater at the FB Leopold Media Filter Company in Watsontown.  The site was used for brick manufacturing from 1913 through 1986, and a coal gasification plant was operated on a portion of the site from 1979 to 1984.  In 1990, the site became an anthracite screening operation.  FB Leopold operated from 1996 through 2006, when the current owner, ITT Corporation, assumed operations.  An environmental site assessment detected isolated areas of soil contamination.  Remediation consisted of excavation of these impacted soil areas, and the collection of post-remedial samples confirmed that Act 2 Non-Residential Statewide Health standards had been attained.  An executed environmental covenant was submitted to ensure that the site use remains non-residential and that groundwater not be used as a potable water source. (Larry Newcomer 570-327-3418)

NPDES Majors Backlog Status

Number of Overdue Permits-0

Number of Permits Issued This Week-0

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(Chad Miller 570-327-3639)

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Cabot Oil Acts on PA Orders

By George Basler of the Star Gazette

DIMOCK, Pa. — Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. plans to comply “as quickly as possible” with an order from Pennsylvania state regulators so it can resume hydrofracturing operations in Susquehanna County, a company spokesman said Monday.

The company has been in contact with the Department of Environmental Protection to hold an administrative conference in the next seven days to discuss the steps that must be undertaken by Cabot, said company spokesman Ken Komoroski.

The DEP issued the order after three separate spills of a gel-like lubricant at the Heitsman site in a week. In a release issued, Sunday, Cabot said the first two spills were caused by failed piping connections between the frac tanks holding a fresh water supply and the equipment used to pump the fluid into the shale formation. The third spill was caused by a pressure surge that caused a hose to rupture.

The spills polluted a wetland and caused a fish kill in Stevens Creek, the department said.

“Three spills at one location is unacceptable to us,” Komoroski said.

To comply with the DEP order, Cabot has started work on engineering and safety reports, Komoroski said. They include preparing an updated Pollution Prevention and Contingency Plan and an updated Control and Disposal Plan within 14 days, and conducting an engineering study of all equipment and work practices at hydrofracturing well sites within 21 days.

Meanwhile, Dan O. Dinges, president and CEO of Cabot, said the company is committed to “the timely resumption of our fracking operations” and is working cooperatively with state regulators, even though it’s “disappointed” with the DEP order and disagrees with several of its allegations.

The DEP order, issued Friday, applies to a Heistman well site in Dimock Township, and seven other wells that Cabot is now drilling in Susquehanna County. Cabot can continue work to drill the wells.

Cabot has not calculated how much the work stoppage will cost the company, Komoroski said.

“Basically, we’re focused on incidence avoidance, not how much it’s costing,” he said.