Industrywide Issues

Bradford County | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | IMG Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

Details on 3 Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants in Bradford County
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

With 60 gigawatts of electric power generation going dark over the next few years due to Obama’s war on coal (enough electricity to power 45 million homes), something has to replace it. That something is almost always natural gas-fired electric generating plants. Some of those plants are sizable. But some are smaller. MDN previously reported that IMG Midstream wants to build a dozen tiny electric generating plants in across Pennsylvania–plants that will generate 4.4 megawatts of electricity. Seven of those plants are located in northeast PA (see 7 Small Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants Coming to NEPA). Three of those seven will be located in Bradford County, PA–one of the most heavily drilled counties in the state. Here’s a bit more detail about the three plants coming to Bradford County…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Northampton County | PennEast Pipeline | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | UGI Energy Services

Update on PennEast Pipeline–Its Physical & Emotional Path
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

The anti-drilling nutters at the Sierra Club (we call them Sierra Clubbers, you know, people who like to go “clubbing“?) have apparently polled a new phrase that they think is a winner. They’ve found when you say magic words, like “pipeline x will leave a nasty, ugly scar that’s irreversible” on Old Mother Nature, that gets low information people really fired up. So that’s the new phrase they toss around for projects like the recently announced PennEast Pipeline (see 3rd New NEPA Marcellus Pipeline Proposed, Connects to Trenton, NJ). PennEast will run from Wilkes-Barre, PA all the way to a spot near Trenton, NJ. Communities along the proposed route have been organizing meetings with the express purpose of castigating and ridiculing the proposed $1 billion project. “Not in my back yard!” they yell. The Sierra Clubbers helpfully sprinkle magic words like “scar the earth” which whips them up into even more of frenzy. So UGI and the four other partners in the project have abruptly stopped attending those meetings and will, instead, host their own meetings in an attempt to keep anti-drillers from trying to manipulate people’s emotions. Good for them…
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Chester County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Sunoco Logistics

West Goshen’s Legal Shenanigans Try to Block Mariner East Pipeline
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

Even though Sunoco Logistics’ Mariner East pipeline is already buried in the ground and has been for decades, some communities along the path of the pipeline don’t want Sunoco to repurpose the pipeline for use to flow natural gas liquids (NGLs) like ethane and propane. In order to repurpose the pipeline, Sunoco needs to build 18 pump stations and 17 valve control stations in 31 municipalities along its 299-mile route. Communities like West Goshen (Chester County, near Philadelphia) are fighting it because they don’t want such a station built in their township. Sunoco recently won a very important decision by the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) that said Mariner East always has been and still remains a “public utility” under PA law, which exempts them from local zoning ordinances (see Major Milestone: PA PUC Rules Mariner East IS a Public Utility). West Goshen isn’t happy with that so they’re appealing the decision in PA Commonwealth Court, asking the court to stop Sunoco from beginning construction before the appeal process plays out. West Goshen is holding the gun of the courts to the head of Sunoco and will intentionally try to play this out as long as they can (death by a thousand cuts)…
Read More “West Goshen’s Legal Shenanigans Try to Block Mariner East Pipeline”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Research | Statewide OH | Wastewater

Ohio U Researcher Gets Extra $1.45M to Finalize Wastewater Tech
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

An ongoing criticism of shale drilling is that the wastewater produced in the process–both the wastewater from fracking and then later, the naturally occurring water from the depths that comes out (called brine or produced water) needs to go someplace. Recycling it increasingly happens–but there’s still a lot that gets disposed of via injection wells. MDN recently told you about an incredible breakthrough technology that turns the nastiest frack wastewater into (yes) drinkable water in about a half hour (see Exclusive: Breakthrough Tech Cleans Frack Wastewater < 30 Minutes). Keystone Pure Water Tech, the company pioneering this new technology, is not the only company to work on cracking the recycle-it-at-the-well-pad technology. A researcher at Ohio University, Dr. Jason Trembly, has been working for two years on the same problem. He got an initial grant/investment of $2 million, and yesterday he got another $1.45 million to complete the project and get his technology released…
Read More “Ohio U Researcher Gets Extra $1.45M to Finalize Wastewater Tech”
Alternative Energy | Erie County (NY) | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Gov. Cuomo Backs Billionaire Solar Guy Over Fracking
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is about to direct $750 million of taxpayer’s hard-earned money to go to Elon Musk, founder of Paypal and Tesla Motors, a man whose net worth is $11.7 BILLION. Why? It’s Cuomo’s crony capitalism move to get Musk to build a manufacturing plant near Buffalo that will produce (don’t laugh) solar panels. Can anyone say “Solyndra”? Cuomo is hoping to buy ~~votes~~ Upstate NY jobs with his latest sleazy move. Meanwhile, if Cuomo would only open the state for hydraulic fracturing, he wouldn’t have to spend a dime of taxpayer money to create thousands of new jobs and lift the standard of living for everyone in Upstate. Instead, he prefers to steal from already-poor taxpayers and reward the super rich. Here’s more on the latest travesty unfolding in NY…
Read More “NY Gov. Cuomo Backs Billionaire Solar Guy Over Fracking”
Accidents | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Tioga County (PA) | Wastewater

PA DEP Levies Biggest Fine Ever, $4.5M Against EQT
October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

We’ve got some bad blood happening between EQT–a big Marcellus driller headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA–and the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP has just filed a lawsuit against EQT to force the company to cough up a new record–$4.53 million in fines–for a leaky wastewater impoundment in Tioga County, PA. The fine comes a week after the anti-drilling PA Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, once again abused her office’s powers by filing criminal charges against EQT (see today’s companion story). The DEP says EQT filed for and received permission to build a freshwater impoundment at that location in 2012, but after the impoudment was built, they decided to change and use it for frack wastewater. Problem is, with a wastewater impoundment you need monitoring wells drilled around the impoundment and extra protections that were lacking because it was supposed to be used for freshwater only. EQT then built a second impoundment next to it for wastewater and did install monitoring wells, figuring those monitoring wells would cover both impoundments. The first impoundment leaked and, according to the DEP, EQT just doesn’t get how serious the problems were/are that resulted, and so they’ve slapped them with their biggest single fine ever. EQT is already fighting back both legally and with their own press release…
Read More “PA DEP Levies Biggest Fine Ever, $4.5M Against EQT”
Accidents | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Tioga County (PA) | Wastewater

PA Attorney Gen. Kane Abuses Office Again, Arrest Warrant for EQT
October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

Last year Pennsylvania’s anti-drilling Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, abused her office and filed criminal charges against XTO Energy over a spill of fracking wastewater at a site in Lycoming County, PA that happened more than three years ago–long before she took office (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). In a Britney Spears “Oops!…I Did It Again” moment, Kane has filed a second case of criminal charges against a driller over an accident. Last week Kane filed charges against EQT over a leaky wastewater impoundment in Tioga County, PA. Yesterday the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection fined EQT $4.53 million–it’s highest ever fine–over the same incident (see today’s lead story). Kane is claiming that EQT polluted and disturbed PA waterways and committed misdemeanor crimes in the process…
Read More “PA Attorney Gen. Kane Abuses Office Again, Arrest Warrant for EQT”
Greene County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Seismic Testing

Seismic Testing Company Behaves Badly in Greene County, PA
October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

The following story makes us very angry. Provided the details are accurate and true–we have no reason to believe they aren’t–Geokinetics (a seismic testing company) and Cougar Land Services (landmen) have behaved badly toward a landowner in Greene County, PA that didn’t want any testing done on his land. To be fair, the property owner does not own the mineral rights under his land and doesn’t know who does. However, neither the landman nor the seismic testing company that attempted to (in our opinion) trespass on his property to do the testing notified him that they had permission from the mineral rights owner. And even if they did have permission from the mineral rights owner, they should have handled the testing in a far different manner than they did. The following article is from PublicSource in Pittsburgh. Yes, PublicSource is largely an anti-drilling news organization–but provided the reporting is accurate, truth is truth, no matter where it comes from…
Read More “Seismic Testing Company Behaves Badly in Greene County, PA”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Statewide VA | Virginia | West Virginia | Wetzel County

EQT’s WV to VA Pipeline Open Season a Success, FERC Filing in Oct
October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

In early September MDN told you that EQT and NextEra Energy were getting hitched–in a joint venture for the 330-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline project that will run from Wetzel County, WV to Pittsylvania County, VA (see EQT & NextEra Tie the Knot on WV-VA Pipeline Joint Venture). The happy couple, with EQT in charge, announced a binding open season for the proposed pipeline. Yesterday EQT said the open season has been successful with 2 billion cubic feet of capacity locked up in 20 year deals–but they’re waiting a few more days, until this Friday, before closing the door. EQT also said yesterday they expect to begin their pre-filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) later this month. Later this year they’ll begin open houses to discuss the project with communities where the pipeline will run. If everything goes according to plan, the pipeline will go online sometime around November 2018…
Read More “EQT’s WV to VA Pipeline Open Season a Success, FERC Filing in Oct”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Washington County

PPG Tries to Prop Up Discredited/Shamed PA Rep Jesse White
October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

You know that anti-drilling State Rep. Jesse White (Cecil, Washington County, PA) is in trouble when the Democrat editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes time to author an entire editorial to make excuses for his deranged behavior in attacking his own constituents by using fake online identities–pretending to be some of his own pro-drilling constituents and posting comments as them to make them look bad (see How the Mighty Have Fallen: PA Rep White Admits Guilt, Not Sorry). It’s sick, it’s unpardonable, and at a minimum unethical–perhaps even illegal. He should have been tossed out of office a year ago when it was exposed–but there you go. Behaving badly is a resume enhancer in the PA Democrat Party and now White’s fellow Dems on the editorial board of the PPG have to hold their noses and try to keep him in office with their lame “approval” of him…
Read More “PPG Tries to Prop Up Discredited/Shamed PA Rep Jesse White”
Industrywide Issues | Regulation

EPA Extends Comment Period for Power-Grab Under CWA
October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

The federal Environmental Protection Agency, as MDN reported in April of this year, continues to attempt grabbing away states’ rights for themselves. We told you about their attempt to redefine not just “navigable” but all waterways as being subject to the 1972 Clean Water Act (see Altoona Hearing on Latest EPA Outrage: Redefining Clean Water Act). If every piddly creek, stream, swamp and small river in every state is subject to the CWA, it’s then subject to the EPA and to Obama’s “imperial presidency,” as PA Congressman Bill Shuster calls it. The EPA announced they are extending the comment period on their latest outrageous power-grab proposal to Nov. 14th…
Read More “EPA Extends Comment Period for Power-Grab Under CWA”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crime | Industrywide Issues

Anti-Drillers Don’t Like Being “Spied On” While They Do Bad Things
October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

When anti-drillers cross the line and trespass on private property, and then get called out for it, the squeal like a stuck pig (see NE PA Anti-Driller Slapped with Trespassing Injunction). Sometimes anti-drillers are more than loony, they’re dangerous to themselves and others (see Protesters Shut Down Anadarko Drill Site in Lycoming County, PA). Sometimes anti-drillers cross the line and engage in what we would call terrorist acts (see Protesters Get Violent, Shut Down OH Frack Water Plant). Is it any wonder that drillers and pipeline companies have to keep a sharp eye out for those who would do them–and their employees–harm? Is it much of a stretch that drillers and pipeline companies might pass along information to the authorities if they’re concerned? And how do anti-drillers respond? By claiming they’re being “spied on” and that the state police are colluding with drillers to hush up the so-called protesters…
Read More “Anti-Drillers Don’t Like Being “Spied On” While They Do Bad Things”
Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Second Look at New NY Law: Climate Change & Drilling Permits
October 7, 2014October 7, 2014

Last week MDN reported on the recent New York “Community Risk and Resiliency Act” signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. We raised the issue that it may be a surreptitious way of controlling shale drilling when/if it’s allowed (see NY Law Back Door Way to Stop Widespread Shale Drilling?). The new law requires the state Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to take into account climate change and sea levels rising when making certain decisions and evaluating certain permits. We referenced one law firm’s take that “Applications and/or permits [for oil and gas drilling] received after the adoption of the Department’s guidance must comply with the law.” Our speculation was that maybe the law could be used to slow down or stop shale drilling. We’ve received a strong dissenting opinion on that view from another attorney, and from landowners in the Southern Tier area of New York, who have reviewed the law and find that, at best, the new law is dealing with storage tanks and not actual drilling permits…
Read More “Second Look at New NY Law: Climate Change & Drilling Permits”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Wheeling Water Warriors Take on Drilling Under Ohio River in WV
October 7, 2014October 7, 2014

With blue capes unfurled and their Spandex tights removed from deep in the back of the closet (and it’s not even Halloween for another three weeks), the ~~aging hippies known as the~~ Wheeling Water Warriors have found a new purpose (since GreenHunter still hasn’t built a barging facility in Wheeling, WV, confounding their life’s mission). That new purpose? To oppose fossil fuel extraction in the state–wherever it happens. Right now it’s a righteous cause to prevent drilling under the Ohio River. The Warriors are circulating petitions to try and stop the imminent deal West Virginia is set to make to allow one or more drillers to set up rigs at least a mile from the river, but allow them to extra oil and gas from beneath the river (more than a mile down) with horizontal drilling…
Read More “Wheeling Water Warriors Take on Drilling Under Ohio River in WV”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Antero Resources Adopts Clean Fleet® Tech for Northeast Fracking
October 7, 2014October 7, 2014

Antero Resources, a major driller in both the Marcellus and Utica Shale, recently began using a new fracking technology from U.S. Well Services called Clean Fleet®. U.S. Well Services is making some pretty big claims with their new technology: significant cost savings for drillers (up to $40,000 per day!), a 99% reduction in air emissions and a “dramatic” decrease in the noise pollution. Certainly sounds like a winner! Here’s the announcement that Antero is now using Clean Fleet® for fracking…
Read More “Antero Resources Adopts Clean Fleet® Tech for Northeast Fracking”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater | West Virginia

Antero’s Frack Wastewater Cleaned/Recycled by WV Startup
October 7, 2014October 7, 2014

Chance Richie is a former officer on a U.S. nuclear submarine and the CEO and founder of Shalewater Solutions–a company started in 2011 that cleans and recycles frack wastewater in the Marcellus and Utica Shale. Richie’s company, located in Harrison County, WV, has landed one of the biggest drillers in the Marcellus/Utica–Antero Resources. The key to Shalewater’s approach is the fact that all wastewater is not the same. The chemical composition changes from driller to driller, site to site, and shale play to shale play…
Read More “Antero’s Frack Wastewater Cleaned/Recycled by WV Startup”