Landfills

Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

Biased Post-Gazette Attacks SWPA Shale Cuttings Landfill…Again
May 26, 2020May 26, 2020

Last year a sewage treatment facility in Belle Vernon (Fayette County, PA) claimed the effluent (runoff) it was receiving from a nearby landfill in Westmoreland County contained high levels of salt and radioactivity and was causing damage to their treatment system (see Another Post-Gazette Smear Job: Drill Cuttings Pollute Rivers). The landfill accepts drill cuttings–leftover rock and dirt from drilling holes (not wastewater). The sewage treatment plant with help from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette made accusations against the landfill and the shale industry. The same biased Post-Gazette “reporter” is back with another round of accusations against the landfill, aimed at scaring nearby residents.
Read More “Biased Post-Gazette Attacks SWPA Shale Cuttings Landfill…Again”
Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Westmoreland County

PA DEP Fines Drill Cuttings Landfill for Contaminated Runoff
February 19, 2020February 19, 2020

Last year a sewage treatment facility in Belle Vernon (Fayette County, PA) claimed the effluent (runoff) it was receiving from a nearby landfill in Westmoreland County contained high levels of salt and radioactivity and was causing damage to their treatment system (see Another Post-Gazette Smear Job: Drill Cuttings Pollute Rivers). The landfill accepts drill cuttings–leftover rock and dirt from drilling holes (not wastewater)–yet the sewage treatment plant with help from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette made accusations against the landfill and the shale industry. The state Dept. of Environmental Protection has stepped in and brokered an agreement with the landfill (called a consent order) for the landfill to make certain corrective actions and (of course) pay a $24,000 fine.
Read More “PA DEP Fines Drill Cuttings Landfill for Contaminated Runoff”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Litigation | New York | Steuben County

Antis Fabricate Data in Attempt to Block NY Landfill Expansion
February 19, 2020February 19, 2020

Is anyone shocked at the audacity of anti-fossil fuel groups like the Sierra Club to simply manufacture (make up, out of nothing) new “data” with wild claims of radioactivity in order to block a New York landfill from expanding to accept more PA drill cuttings from shale sites? We aren’t.
Read More “Antis Fabricate Data in Attempt to Block NY Landfill Expansion”
Industrywide Issues | Landfills | New York | Regulation | Steuben County

NY DEC Approves Landfill Expansion to Accept More PA Drill Cuttings
January 13, 2020January 13, 2020

Location of C&D Hakes Landfill (click for larger version)

This no longer qualifies as a minor miracle, it’s a MAJOR miracle. The Cuomo-corrupted New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has just approved the only remaining way NY benefits from the Marcellus–by allowing a landfill in Steuben County to expand so it can accept more drill cuttings from PA Marcellus drillers.
Read More “NY DEC Approves Landfill Expansion to Accept More PA Drill Cuttings”
Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Seeks Comment on Draft Radiation Monitoring Regs for Shale
October 18, 2019October 18, 2019

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has drafted up new “technical guidance” on “radioactivity monitoring at solid waste processing and disposal facilities” specifically targeted at the shale industry. Translation: new regulations for how dumps (and drillers) monitor and report on radioactivity levels from incoming loads of drill cuttings. The DEP has posted their proposed new guidance document for public comment, after which they will adopt the new regs.
Read More “PA DEP Seeks Comment on Draft Radiation Monitoring Regs for Shale”
Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

PA’s Out-of-Control AG to Investigate Landfill Effluent as “Crime”
May 24, 2019May 24, 2019

The smear job Pittsburgh Post-Gazette propagandists Don Hopey and David Templeton began last week continues this week–an attempt to connect drill cuttings (leftover rock and dirt from drilling a hole in the ground) to “toxic” chemicals coming from a landfill in Westmoreland County where the drill cuttings are less than half of the dumped waste. The effluent–runoff from the landfill–is piped to a nearby sewage treatment facility in Belle Vernon for processing and discharge into the Mon River.
Read More “PA’s Out-of-Control AG to Investigate Landfill Effluent as “Crime””
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Chemung County | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | New York | Steuben County

Radical Green Groups Try to Block NY Marcellus Landfill Expansion
February 26, 2019February 26, 2019

drill cuttings

New York benefits from the PA Marcellus in a very minor way–we sell a few hotel rooms, and a few restaurant meals to workers passing through. About the only way we tangibly benefit from PA shale is by accepting drilling cuttings in a few of our landfills. Yet antis want to take that away too.
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Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Tyler County | Wastewater | West Virginia

New WV Facility Opens to Handle Radioactive M-U Waste
September 12, 2018September 12, 2018

SECUR, a privately owned company headquartered in Pittsburgh that (among other things) cleans up radioactive waste from shale drilling, has just opened a new 10-acre branch facility in Tyler County, WV to do just that–to clean up NORM (naturally occurring radioactive materials) and TENORM (technically-enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material). The facility cleans up both liquids (wastewater) and solids (drill cuttings) that contain a tiny bit of radiation in them, making them suitable for safe disposal. No, there is no permanent storage at the facility–the site, located in Friendly, WV, is only used to clean up the stuff coming in. SECUR then repackages the material and sends it back out to licensed disposal facilities. And did we mention…SECUR is a woman-owned, small business? Nice. Here’s the good news of yet more jobs and an essential service have come to the WV part of the Marcellus/Utica…
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Industrywide Issues | Kentucky | Landfills

Whatever Happened to Illegally Dumped Frack Waste in KY Landfill?
February 15, 2018February 15, 2018

Click image for larger version

In March 2016, MDN reported that 47 dumpsters full of concentrated frack waste from OH, PA and WV was illegally dumped in a Kentucky landfill in Estill County, KY (see Marcellus/Utica Frack Waste Illegally Dumped in Kentucky Landfill). The cuttings were buried between July and November in 2015, near as anyone can tell. The landfill sits across the road from a school. Normal frack waste has extremely low (usually no) radioactivity. But when drill cuttings are further processed and concentrated, as was the case with this series of loads, the naturally occurring radiation present can become more concentrated. Fortunately there’s no indication of a problem at the landfill: no indication that it’s leaking radioactivity into the water table, etc. But parents and residents were rightly up in arms (see Local Residents Demand KY Landfill Accepting Frack Waste Close). We last provided an update on this situation in July 2017 (see Update on Illegally Dumped Frack Waste in Kentucky Landfills). What’s happened since then? Not much. The radioactive waste is still there, buried. Still no signs of any leakage or problems. The landfill owners were fined and are required to create a mitigation plan. State officials want to keep the waste right where it is–best not to disturb it. But some locals want it dug up and moved–to somewhere/anywhere else. Here’s the latest on the “hot mess” in Estill County’s landfill…
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Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | West Virginia

Antero Agrees to Add Monitoring Near New Frack Waste Landfill
December 20, 2017December 20, 2017

By our reckoning, Antero Resources’ $275 million wastewater recycling facility in Doddridge County, WV is now operational (see Antero’s $275M WV Wastewater Recycling Facility Ready to Launch). In 2015 Antero hired Veolia Water Technologies Inc. to build a new shale wastewater recycling facility in Doddridge County (see Antero Building New 60K Bbl Wastewater Recycling Facility in WV). The facility, called the Clearwater Facility, can process up to 60,000 barrels of wastewater per day, separating water, salt and radioactive particles. The salt can be sold to municipalities for use as road salt–but frankly there’s not enough of a market to sell it all. And not all of it will be of sufficient quality to be sold that way. So Antero also spent $20 million to build a landfill next to the plant for the salt (see Update on Antero’s $275M Wastewater Facility in WV). In a move we were previously unaware of, a pair of Big Green groups–West Virginia Rivers Coalition and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy–made a fuss about the landfill. They filed an appeal with the West Virginia Environmental Quality Board back in May challenging the permit allowing the landfill to get built. Antero has just settled the matter by signing an agreement to conduct additional surface water monitoring at and near the landfill site…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | MAX Environmental | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Washington County

Smith Twp Votes Down Plan to Expand MAX Bulger Marcellus Landfill
November 20, 2017November 20, 2017

In a disappointing development, the supervisors of Smith Township (Washington County), PA have voted to turn down MAX Environmental’s request to expand the Bulger landfill they operate in the town (see Marcellus Landfill in Washington Co. Seeks to Expand, Add TENORM). One of the primary customers for the landfill over the past 10 years has been the Marcellus industry–dumping drill cuttings (leftover dirt and rock from drilling) at the landfill. MAX intends to ask the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection for a permit to expand the Bulger facility by 21 acres. They also want to begin accepting technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials, or TENORM, from shale drillers. The first stop is, however, is to get local approval. The DEP wants to see local approval before they consider a state approval. Until now, the word coming from the supervisors is that they were duty-bound to approve the request, as long as “reasonable conditions” were made in the request. The town held several public hearings about the project. Apparently some local loudmouths got to the supervisors and spooked them. At a meeting last Thursday night the supervisors voted 3-0 against approving the request. MAX said they will wait to get the official document, expected today, before deciding on whether or not to litigate (an almost certainty)…
Read More “Smith Twp Votes Down Plan to Expand MAX Bulger Marcellus Landfill”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | MAX Environmental | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Marcellus Landfill in Washington Co. Seeks to Expand, Add TENORM
November 17, 2017November 17, 2017

MAX Environmental has operated the Bulger hazardous waste landfill in Smith Township (Washington County), PA since 1958. One of the primary customers for the landfill over the past 10 years has been the Marcellus industry–dumping drill cuttings (leftover dirt and rock from drilling) at the landfill. Earlier this year, MAX sold itself to Altus Capital Partners–a private equity investment firm–for an undisclosed amount (see Pittsburgh-based MAX Environmental Purchased by Investment Firm). With the closing of the deal, MAX’s CEO/owner, William Spencer, rode off into the sunset and Bob Shawver was brought in as the new CEO. At first Shawver signaled the operation would move away from focusing on Marcellus customers. Then reality set in and plans changed (see MAX Enviro Not Walking Away from M-U, Wants to Expand PA Landfill). MAX intends to ask the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection for a permit to expand the Bulger facility by 21 acres. They also want to begin accepting technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials, or TENORM, from shale drillers. The first stop is, however, is to get local officials on board with their plans. Smith Township has held several hearings about the proposal and last night met to talk about it again. Smith’s attorney prepared a motion for town supervisors that includes 32 conditions before they town will grant an OK to MAX to expand the Bulger facility…
Read More “Marcellus Landfill in Washington Co. Seeks to Expand, Add TENORM”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Regulation

Sierra Club Lawsuit Against Cove Point, 2 Other LNG Plants Tossed
November 2, 2017November 2, 2017

Yesterday a three-judge panel from the US District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out the Sierra Club’s petitions challenging Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorization of three LNG export projects: Dominion Energy’s Cove Point LNG in Maryland, Cheniere’s Sabine Pass LNG in Louisiana, and Cheniere’s Corpus Christi LNG in Texas. As we said in a post on Oct. 3rd: “The Sierra Club lawsuit against all three projects challenges FERC’s approval of them, arguing the plants negatively affect the environment and will make Mom Earth sick. While no one expects these lawsuits to go anywhere, you never know, which is why it’s important to keep an eye on it” (see Sierra Club in Court Oct 18 Against Cove Point, 2 More LNG Plants). We did keep an eye on it, and the good news is that not even the liberal judges on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals could stomach the nonsense coming from the odious Sierra Club…
Read More “Sierra Club Lawsuit Against Cove Point, 2 Other LNG Plants Tossed”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | MAX Environmental | Pennsylvania | Washington County

MAX Enviro Not Walking Away from M-U, Wants to Expand PA Landfill
September 25, 2017September 25, 2017

MAX Environmental has operated the Bulger hazardous waste landfill in Smith Township (Washington County), PA since 1958. One of the primary customers for the landfill over the past 10 years has been the Marcellus industry–dumping drill cuttings (leftover dirt and rock from drilling) at the landfill. Earlier this year, MAX sold itself to Altus Capital Partners–a private equity investment firm–for an undisclosed amount (see Pittsburgh-based MAX Environmental Purchased by Investment Firm). With the closing of the deal, MAX’s CEO/owner, William Spencer, rode off into the sunset and Bob Shawver was brought in as the new CEO. Shawver acknowledged it would have been “nuts” not to pursue business from the shale industry when it was going gangbusters, but Shawver said he would “retool” MAX–away from depending on the Marcellus industry. MAX will no longer be known and branded as a company in the oil and gas space. Shawver is rebranding the company, going after customers that are the region’s “traditional bread and butter”–manufacturing, industrial facilities and construction (see MAX Environmental Walks Away from Marcellus/Utica). Except reality has set in and plans have changed. MAX is applying for a permit to expand the Bulger facility by 21 acres, to continue doing what they are doing now. And what, you may ask, are they doing now? “Most of the residual waste MAX accepts now consists of drill cuttings from the Marcellus Shale industry.” Looks like MAX isn’t walking away from the Marcellus after all…
Read More “MAX Enviro Not Walking Away from M-U, Wants to Expand PA Landfill”
Industrywide Issues | Landfills | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NYC Democrats Target Upstate with Proposed Ban on PA Frack Waste
June 14, 2017June 14, 2017

Every now and again anti-fossil fuel nutters in New York will pop up from whatever hole they live in to claim that the couple of NY landfills accepting drill cuttings (leftover rock and dirt) from PA shale drilling will result in an environmental apocalypse. One landfill in particular, in Chemung County, seems to be the focus of their ire (see NY Anti Drillers Apoplectic Over Soil in Chemung Co. Landfill). From time to time they attract the attention of some of NY’s less-than-bright legislators who float bills to ban “importing frack waste” into the haughty Empire State. They tried in 2014 (see NY Dem Senators Want to Ban PA Drill Cuttings from NY Landfills). Fortunately, the bill went nowhere. Earlier this year the anti-drilling group Environmental Advocates of New York published a 24-page sham “report” trying to rekindle momentum for a frack waste ban (see Anti-Drillers Try to Ban Drill Cuttings from PA in NY Landfills). Environmental Advocates appears to be in league with Democrats from the New York City area who have floated yet another bill to ban PA frack waste from entering NY. New York City just LOVES to tell us hicks in Upstate what we can and can’t do…
Read More “NYC Democrats Target Upstate with Proposed Ban on PA Frack Waste”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | M&A | MAX Environmental | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Pittsburgh-based MAX Environmental Purchased by Investment Firm
February 8, 2017February 8, 2017

In 2014 MDN reported that MAX Environmental, operator of the Bulger hazardous waste landfill in Smith Township (Washington County), PA since 1958, planned to expand the landfill by 21 acres in order to handle an increase of drill cuttings and even liquid waste (which they will turn to solid waste) coming from Marcellus Shale drilling (see New Landfill Expansion in SWPA Aimed at Marcellus Drillers). That did happen and the landfill accepts Marcellus/Utica waste. The new news is that MAX has sold itself to Altus Capital Partners–a private equity investment firm–for an undisclosed amount. As soon as the deal closes, MAX will get a new CEO and MAX’s current CEO/owner, William Spencer, will ride off into the sunset…
Read More “Pittsburgh-based MAX Environmental Purchased by Investment Firm”