Opposed to Proposed Injection Well in Clearfield County, PA

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Windfall Oil & Gas Company wants to build an injection well to dispose of Marcellus Shale wastewater in Brady Township (Clearfield County), PA. They’ve submitted an application to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees permitting and regulation of injection wells nationwide. The PA Department of Environmental Protection would also need to approve such  a well.

Currently there are only eight injection wells in the entire state, two of them in Clearfield County. There is a movement by local politicians and residents to oppose the new injection well, and depending on the news account you read, there will be either an open or a mostly closed-door meeting on July 23 with the EPA present to discuss the proposed well.

From one source:

Windfall Oil and Gas of Falls Creek has proposed the well for disposing wastewater from hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus shale natural gas drilling operations. [Area resident Marianne] Atkinson opposes the construction of the disposal injection well, as it would be located only two miles from city limits and could contaminate residents’ water.

Atkinson recently contacted the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which confirmed Windfall Oil and Gas had submitted an application for its proposed construction of the disposal injection well. Both the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the federal EPA must grant permits for the disposal injection well.

Atkinson said a town meeting will be held Monday, July 23 for elected officials and residents to convene and publicly discuss the proposed disposal injection well. She said State Reps. Camille “Bud” George, D-74 of Houtzdale and Matt Gabler, R-75 of DuBois, were invited to the meeting.

Commissioner Joan Robinson-McMillen advised Atkinson that all three commissioners would be attending. Commissioner Mark B. McCracken added, “I think our intentions are to present objections to this well being constructed in Clearfield County.”

Presently, Atkinson said the proposed site’s review would only consist of a one-quarter mile circle. She said perhaps, the commissioners could contact the federal EPA and request this review be extended outward an additional one-and-a-half miles.(1)

And a second source:

For the last several months neighbors, local officials and lawmakers have voiced their concerns over the proposed wastewater injection well for Brady Township.

Currently, there is a lease agreement between a resident along Highland Street Extension and Windfall Oil & Gas Company,which is based in Falls Creek.

After receiving letters and phone calls from concerned people in Clearfield County, the Environmental Protection Agency has decided that it’s time to come to Brady Township.

“It’s good that they’re going to help monitor what happens in the process. It’s scary to one to know what exactly they are going to do as far as if they permit this. I can’t see any good coming out of it,” said resident Valerie Powers.

6 News has learned that the meeting will be small and behind closed doors.

Powers said that 10 residents will be allowed to attend. The EPA is also encouraging all local officials and lawmakers to attend the meeting.

6 News learned that at the meeting the EPA will discuss the process in obtaining a permit for a disposal well. The EPA has made one thing clear: the 26-step permit has not yet been approved.

The meeting with the EPA has been scheduled for July 23 at the Community Center in Brady Township.(2)

(1) Clearfield (PA) GantDaily.com (Jul 11, 2012) – Town Meeting Set for Proposed Disposal Injection Well

(2) WJAC-TV (Jul 3, 2012) – EPA scheduled to visit Brady Twp. to discuss proposed injection well

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