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Sanctioned Lawyer Meets Cyclone Residents Against Injection Well

In January, MDN brought you the good news that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved a plan by Catalyst Energy to convert an existing gas production well on Route 646 in Cyclone (Keating Township in McKean County, PA) into a shale wastewater injection well (see PA DEP Approves Shale Wastewater Injection Well in McKean County). More than 40 residents of Cyclone appealed the DEP approval. They met with an attorney over the weekend to help them with their appeal — an attorney that has the distinction of being the first (and so far only) attorney to be sanctioned by the DEP’s Environmental Hearing Board (EHB).
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EPA Allows PA Radicals to Challenge Permit for Plum Injection Well

Penneco Environmental Solutions wants to build a second wastewater injection well in Plum Borough (Allegheny County), PA, next to an existing injection well. Penneco’s first wastewater injection well in Plum finally opened for business in mid-2021, overcoming all sorts of smears, slanders, and lawsuits by the enviro-left (see Plum Boro Injection Well in SWPA Now Open for Business!). In September 2021, Penneco announced plans to build a second wastewater injection well in Plum, located next to the first one (see 2nd Shale Wastewater Injection Well Planned for Plum Boro in SWPA). Last September, the federal EPA issued a permit to Penneco for its proposed second wastewater injection well (see Federal EPA Approves 2nd Injection Well in Plum Borough, PA). That permit was challenged by two green groups. Even though they filed their challenge after the deadline had expired to do so, the EPA is allowing the challenge to proceed.
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2nd Plum Injection Well Approval Suffers Minor Court Setback

Score a (very) minor victory for the radicals of a Little Green Group (funded with money from Big Green groups) called Protect PT. Last October, a lawsuit brought by Protect PT against a second injection well planned for Plum Borough (Allegheny County), PA, had oral arguments before the state’s Commonwealth Court (see PA Court Hears Arguments Against 2nd Plum Injection Well Permit). The lawsuit challenged an approval by Plum’s Zoning Board. Yesterday, the judges of the mostly conservative Commonwealth Court ruled in favor of the radicals to send the approval back to the Zoning Board for another look and more justification.
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PA DEP Approves Shale Wastewater Injection Well in McKean County

Here’s a story that escaped our radar…until now. Catalyst Energy, Inc., proposes converting an existing gas production well on Route 646 in Cyclone (Keating Township in McKean County, PA) into a shale wastewater injection well. The well would handle up to 30 truckloads of wastewater per day. The prospect of the traffic and location near some homes did not sit well with some local residents. However, the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved the plan on Jan. 11, although it didn’t publicly announce the approval until Tuesday, Jan. 23.
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OH Supremes Revive Lawsuit Against ODNR for Closing Injection Well

Here’s a story we haven’t written about in over three years. American Water Management Services (AWMS) owns a wastewater injection well in Trumbull County that supposedly caused a low-level earthquake (that nobody could feel) in 2014. Actually, there are two injection wells located at the site, both operated by AWMS. They were both “temporarily” shut down by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources following the quake nobody could feel (see ODNR Temporarily Shuts Down Injection Wells After Low-Level Quake). ODNR allowed AWMS to reopen one of the injection wells but denied it the right to reopen the second well. AWMS appealed the closure of the second well all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court in 2018.
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Ohio Oil & Gas Commission to Decide Fate of 3 K&H Injection Wells

The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) “temporarily” suspended the operations of four fracking waste injection wells in Athens County in September (see ODNR Temporarily Shuts Down 4 Injection Wells in Athens County). ODNR said the wells presented an “imminent danger” to health and the environment. The Ohio Oil and Gas Commission heard two days of testimony last week concerning three of the injection wells, located in Torch, OH, owned by K&H Partners. A rep from K&H pushed back against ODNR’s claims, saying the agency doesn’t have evidence its injection wells are “communicating” with other wells in the region.
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Ex-employees Request Criminal Probe Against Eureka Resources

Earlier this week, Pennsylvania State Senator Katie Muth, a virulent anti-shale hater from the Philadelphia suburbs, held a press conference with a so-called investigative reporter from the Public Herald and two former employees from the Eureka Resources’ Williamsport frack wastewater treatment facility. The employees and reporter leveled some extremely serious accusations about the safety and working conditions at the facility. Exposure to toxic substances and even to low-level radiation is alleged. Four former workers sent a letter to the Lycoming County District Attorney asking him to launch a criminal misconduct investigation.
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Roulette O&G Withdraws Injection Well Plan for Potter County, PA

Earlier this year, Roulette Oil & Gas LLC received approval from the federal EPA to build a shale wastewater injection well in Clara Township in Potter County, PA (see EPA Approves Potter County, PA Injection Well, Waiting Now for DEP). On March 31, the Clara Town Board passed an amended version of its 1987 ordinance governing injection wells (see Clara Township Adopts Modified Ordinance Banning Injection Wells). The newly amended ordinance bans all injection wells in the township — something that is (according to our understanding) illegal under Pennsylvania state law. However, before Roulette could begin drilling, the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) needs to approve the well. Following a DEP public hearing on July 25 in Coudersport, PA, where “emotions ran high,” the DEP extended the public comment period (see PA DEP Extends Deadline to Comment on Potter Injection Well Plan). Just coming to light now is that Roulette withdrew its application for the well in September…
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Frack Water Spill at Eureka Resources Plant in Williamsport, PA

An undetermined amount of fracking wastewater spilled at the Eureka Resources wastewater recycling facility in Williamsport (Lycoming County), PA, at about 9:10 a.m. yesterday. The incident prompted a response by city firefighters and police. The water came from a valve on a tank inside the facility, where oil, chemicals and other substances are removed from fracking wastewater. Contrary to initial reports, nobody (no employees nor first responders) was injured or became ill from the spill.
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PA Court Hears Arguments Against 2nd Plum Injection Well Permit

Penneco Environmental Solutions wants to site a second injection well in Plum Borough (Allegheny County), PA, next to an existing one. Penneco’s first wastewater injection well in Plum finally opened for business in mid-2021, overcoming all sorts of smears, slanders, and lawsuits by the enviro-left (see Plum Boro Injection Well in SWPA Now Open for Business!). In September 2021, Penneco announced plans to build a second wastewater injection well in Plum, located next to the first one (see 2nd Shale Wastewater Injection Well Planned for Plum Boro in SWPA). Plum’s Zoning Board approved the plan, which prompted the Plum Borough Council to join Big Green group Protect PT and sue Plum’s Zoning Board, to overturn the variance it had issued. The antis had their day in court yesterday.
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Federal EPA Approves 2nd Injection Well in Plum Borough, PA

Penneco Environmental Solutions wants to site a second injection well in Plum Boro, next to an existing one. Penneco’s first wastewater injection well in Plum finally opened for business in mid-2021, overcoming all sorts of smears, slanders, and lawsuits by the enviro-left (see Plum Boro Injection Well in SWPA Now Open for Business!). In September 2021, Penneco announced plans to build a second wastewater injection well in Plum, located next to the first one (see 2nd Shale Wastewater Injection Well Planned for Plum Boro in SWPA). It didn’t long for Big Green to begin colluding and coordinating the attack to block the second well (see Big Green Mounts Big Effort to Stop 2nd Plum, PA Injection Well). Last Thursday, the federal EPA issued a final permit to Penneco for its Sedat #4A wastewater injection well located in Plum.
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ODNR Temporarily Shuts Down 4 Injection Wells in Athens County

The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) has “temporarily” suspended the operations of four fracking waste injection wells in Athens County. ODNR says the wells present an “imminent danger” to health and the environment. One of the wells, owned by Reliable Enterprises LLC, is located in Rome Township. The other three are owned by K&H Partners and located in Torch.
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Anti-Marcellus RINO Intros Bill to Block All PA Injection Wells

Pennsylvania State Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (Republican In Name Only from Fayette County) has turned against the Marcellus industry. Yesterday, Krupa introduced legislation, House Bill (HB) 1656, that bans drilling new wastewater injection wells in the state, making it much harder to drill new shale wells. Companies end up drilling fewer wells without a place to dispose of the naturally occurring water that comes from shale (and conventional) wells for years after an oil or gas well comes online.
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Murrysville, PA, Approves Ordinance Allowing Injection Wells

At the regular Murrysville, PA (Westmoreland County) town council meeting on August 16, the council voted to adopt Ordinance No. 1075-23, an ordinance amending the town code to add a provision allowing wastewater injection wells in the town. The new ordinance limits injection wells to properties zoned for business use. The prospective site must be at least five acres, and the well’s borehole cannot be within 250 feet of a property line. Other restrictions apply too. Needless to say, antis are not happy.
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SWPA Republican Rep. Sells Out, Turns Against Marcellus Industry

PA State Rep. Charity Krupa

We’re naming names. Pennsylvania State Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (Republican from Fayette County) has turned against the Marcellus industry. She is introducing legislation that would ban drilling new wastewater injection wells in the state, making it much harder to drill new shale wells. Companies end up drilling fewer wells without a place to dispose of the naturally occurring water that comes from shale (and conventional) wells for years after an oil or gas well comes online. Was Krupa always anti-drilling? Or has she recently lost her way? Either way, she needs to be vigorously opposed in this effort–and someone needs to primary her in the next election. She needs to go.
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PA DEP Extends Deadline to Comment on Potter Injection Well Plan

Earlier this year, Roulette Oil & Gas LLC received approval from the federal EPA to build a shale wastewater injection well in Clara Township in Potter County, PA (see EPA Approves Potter County, PA Injection Well, Waiting Now for DEP). On March 31, the Clara Town Board passed an amended version of its 1987 ordinance governing injection wells (see Clara Township Adopts Modified Ordinance Banning Injection Wells). The newly amended ordinance bans all injection wells in the township–something that is (according to our understanding) illegal under Pennsylvania state law. However, before Roulette can begin drilling, the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) also needs to approve the well. The DEP held a public hearing on July 25 in Coudersport, PA.
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