PA DEP Fines Eureka Resources $100K for Wastewater Violations
The ongoing saga of Eureka Resources’ now-closed frack wastewater treatment facilities in Pennsylvania — two in Lycoming County and one in Bradford County — continues to unfold. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently assessed two fines against Eureka for violations of cleanup deadlines at two of its facilities. One facility in Lycoming County was fined, and one in Bradford County. The fines were $60,000 and $40,000. We’re just not sure which facility got which fine! [UPDATE: We now know that the Williamsport facility was fined $60,000 and the Bradford County facility was fined $40,000. See the update below.] One thing we do know: Eureka was fined a total of $100,000. Read More “PA DEP Fines Eureka Resources $100K for Wastewater Violations”
Thanks to the work of David Hess at the PA Environment Digest Blog in tracking Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) notices published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, we spotted three new water pipeline projects related to drilling new shale wells in three different northeastern PA counties: Lycoming, Bradford, and Wyoming. Water is used for fracking. New water pipelines mean new fracking is on the way in those locations. 
In December, MDN told you that three anti-shale drilling groups—the PA Council of Trout Unlimited, the Keystone Trails Association, and the Responsible Drilling Alliance—requested the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hold a hearing on the Chapter 105 permit requested for a 3.9-mile shale gas access road and staging area proposed by PA General Energy (PGE) in the Loyalsock State Forest (see 
The highly functional and responsible Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), unlike its highly dysfunctional and irresponsible counterpart, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), continues to support the shale energy industry by approving water withdrawals and consumptive use requests for responsible and safe shale drilling. The SRBC published a notice in the February 7 Pennsylvania Bulletin that the Executive Director of the SRBC approved and/or renewed 42 general water use permits in December and 32 general permits in January (74 combined) for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Clearfield, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, and Wyoming counties. 
The Marcellus/Utica region received a combined 10 new drilling permits last week, Jan. 19 – 25, down significantly from the 27 issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 6 new permits, Ohio issued 4, and West Virginia issued none. The drillers receiving new permits last week included: Ascent Resources, EOG Resources, Expand Energy, and Pennsylvania General Energy. 
On August 17, Eureka Resources’ Williamsport Second Street facility (one of the three wastewater treatment plants previously operated by Eureka) leaked some of its stored untreated frack wastewater, which ended up in the nearby Susquehanna River via a storm drain (see 
Three anti-shale drilling groups—the PA Council of Trout Unlimited, the Keystone Trails Association, and the Responsible Drilling Alliance—have requested the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hold a hearing on the Chapter 105 permit requested for a 3.9-mile shale gas access road and staging area proposed by PA General Energy in Gamble and Cascade Townships, Lycoming County. The aim of their request is not to elicit information or express concerns that can be addressed to achieve a better outcome; rather, it is to flood the hearing with bombastic charges in hopes of blocking the project altogether. 
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, Dave Sunday, pretends to be a Republican, but he’s really a Democrat. He’s also anti-shale, as evidenced by a wild attack against Seneca Resources launched on Friday. Sunday’s office filed three separate criminal complaints against Seneca, charging the company with 64 counts of criminal violations of the Solid Waste Management Act and 36 counts of criminal violations of the Clean Streams Law. Sunday, like his left-wing predecessors, is turning what should be regulatory enforcement actions into crimes. No wonder some drillers are saying “screw you” to Pennsylvania and moving their drilling operations to West Virginia and Ohio. 
On August 17, Eureka Resources’ Williamsport Second Street facility (one of the three plants previously operated by Eureka) leaked some of its stored untreated wastewater, which ended up in the nearby Susquehanna River via a storm drain (see