Beaver County

PennEnergy Resources recently reapplied (for a second time) for a permit to draw water from Big Sewickley Creek–but this time the request is cut in half, to just 1.5 million gallons of water a day (see PennEnergy Reapplies to Use SWPA Creek Water for Fracking Ops). In March PennEnergy submitted its water management plan amendment application for proposed water withdrawals from Big Sewickley Creek in Economy Borough, located in Beaver County. As before, the request is to use the water for shale well fracking (the company just received permits to drill seven new wells in Beaver County, PA, see today’s permit report). This application proposes a lower allocation request of 1.5 million gallons per day. As a decision by the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) nears, antis and local Democrat politicians still oppose the modified request. No surprise there.
Read More “Decision Nears, Antis Still Oppose PennEnergy Creek Water Request”

In July 2021, a Pennsylvania Democrat lawmaker from Beaver County (southwestern PA) who professes to support the Marcellus industry, Rep. Rob Matzie, wrote a letter to Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Pat McDonnell (a fellow Dem) asking him to deny a request by PennEnergy Resources to withdraw as much as 3 million gallons of water a day from Big Sewickley Creek and one of its tributaries for shale fracking (see Dem PA Lawmaker Wants to Block Use of Creek Water for Fracking). McDonnell honored his fellow Dem’s request and blocked PennEnergy’s request to use creek water in October (see PA DEP Blocks Use of SWPA Creek Water for Fracking). Matzie is back, this time to oppose a second request by PennEnergy to withdraw half the amount of water from Big Sewickley Creek.
Read More “Dem PA Lawmaker Continues to Oppose PennEnergy Creek Water Request”

In July 2021, a Pennsylvania Democrat lawmaker from Beaver County (southwestern PA) who professes to support the Marcellus industry, Rep. Rob Matzie, wrote a letter to Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Pat McDonnell (a fellow Dem) asking him to deny a request by PennEnergy Resources to withdraw as much as 3 million gallons of water a day from Big Sewickley Creek and one of its tributaries for shale fracking (see Dem PA Lawmaker Wants to Block Use of Creek Water for Fracking). McDonnell honored his fellow Dem’s request and blocked PennEnergy’s request to use creek water in October (see PA DEP Blocks Use of SWPA Creek Water for Fracking). In an MDN exclusive, we have discovered (thanks to a tip from a sharp reader) that PennEnergy recently reapplied for a permit to draw water from Big Sewickley Creek–but this time the request is cut in half, to just 1.5 million gallons of water a day.
Read More “PennEnergy Reapplies to Use SWPA Creek Water for Fracking Ops”