Information provided by the Department of Environmental Protection in response to a Right to Know request shows DEP took major enforcement actions against 26 shale gas drilling and pipeline companies in 2023, including imposing $2,290,849 in penalties for violations going back to 2018.

The enforcement actions included issuing administrative enforcement orders, signing consent orders and agreements and civil penalty agreements.  

DEP took a total of 129 of these actions against shale gas drillers and pipeline companies, according to the “enforcements” information in DEP’s Workload Report for 2023.

These actions are in addition to the 1,310 notices of violation DEP issued shale gas drilling and pipeline companies in 2023, according to DEP’s December 29 Workload Report.  Read more here.

DEP issued the most penalties against EQT Corporation and related companies– $1,120,135; followed by Equitrans-related companies– $419,740; CNX-related companies– $385,403; Range Resources Appalachia– $182,900; and Diversified Production- related companies– $89,100.

The penalties were typically assessed for violations that occurred between 2018 and 2022.

The most frequent violations included erosion and sedimentation control measure failures, spills and releases of wastewater and other fluids.

Abandoned Shale Gas Wells

The information provided by DEP in response to this Right to Know request said the agency issued major violations for abandoning and not plugging shale gas wells to four companies in 2023–

— Chesapeake Appalachia LLC: no details provided except “addressed through enforcement;”

— M4 Energy LLC for abandonment and not plugging three shale gas wells at the Triana Young well pad in Hector Township, Potter County;

— Roulette Oil & Gas LLC for abandoning a shale gas well in Hebron Township, Potter County; and

— XTO Energy, Inc. for abandoning four shale gas wells in Prospect Borough, Butler County.

Read more at PA Environmental Blog