In early 2018, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) collected a whopping $1.7 million fine from Energy Corporation of America (ECA) for violations at 17 well sites in Cumberland, Jefferson, and Whiteley Townships in Greene County, and Goshen Township in Clearfield County (see Energy Corp of America Fined $1.7M for Drilling Violations in PA). ECA’s violations? “Failure to properly contains fluids in onsite pits, unauthorized discharge of industrial waste into groundwater, unauthorized disposal of residual waste, failure to restore the pits and well sites, and operating solid waste storage, treatment, and transfer facilities without permits.” Now, more than four years later, PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro (running for governor with a need to keep his radical base stoked) has indicted ECA and Greylock Energy (which purchased ECA’s assets in 2017) with so-called environmental crimes for the same long-resolved issue. Greylock “strongly disputes” the way Shapiro is characterizing the company and its role in this matter.
