In response to increasing complaints about gas well drilling, especially deep well drilling into the Marcellus Shale formation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established a public phone tip-line to report suspicious oil and gas well activity throughout the Northeast.

The EPA Tuesday announced the start of its "Eyes on Drilling" line at 1-877-919-4372 (toll free), and an e-mail address eyesondrilling@epa.gov where citizens in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and West Virginia can report non-emergency well development actions that appear to be illegal, including the drawing of water from water courses, the illegal disposal of well wastewater or other questionable activity.

If an emergency is observed related to a well drilling operation, the EPA advises individuals to call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.

The EPA phone tip-line asks individuals phoning in complaints to leave their name and phone number "and someone will get back to you as soon as possible," but allows individuals to leave tips anonymously.

"We did this in response to concern about the environmental effects of well drilling and pipeline construction in the region," said David Sternberg, an EPA spokesman in Philadelphia. "We've received a number of reports about questionable brine disposal and drinking water problems and we wanted to have them all coming into one place."

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