N.Y. firm fined over drilling in Allegheny National Forest
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A New York-based gas well drilling company accused of numerous environmental violations at well sites in and around the Allegheny National Forest will be permitted to resume limited drilling operations after paying a $200,000 fine.
According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Energy Development Inc. of Getzville, N.Y., agreed to restrict to 50 at a time the well sites it will drill and develop in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania and in the state's only national forest.
It had 140 active, shallow oil and gas well sites, including 64 in the Allegheny National Forest, in various stages of development when the DEP issued a cease and desist order July 10, because of environmental violations.
"The agreement is structured to ensure both immediate and continuing environmental compliance and allows U.S. Energy the opportunity to resume operations under a structured format," said DEP Regional Director Kelly Burch. "As part of the agreement, U.S. Energy will operate under an environmental management plan that will serve as a blueprint for future compliance and development."
Once U.S. Energy finishes drilling, developing and restoring its existing 140 well sites it will be limited to working on just 35 new well sites at a time until Oct. 31, 2010, said Craig Lobins, DEP regional oil and gas program manager.
The DEP's July 10 stop drilling order cited the company for numerous violations of the state Oil and Gas Act, the Clean Streams Law, and the Solid Waste Management Act. The violations included failure to implement measures to prevent accelerated erosion, illegal sediment discharges into streams, failure to restore well sites, encroachments into streams and wetlands without obtaining required permits, and failure to plug abandoned wells. Some of the well violations occurred on property owned by the Bradford Water Authority.
Mr. Lobins said the company, which did not respond to a phone request for a comment, has restored 80 to 90 percent of the 140 well sites covered by the July 10 order.
First Published August 13, 2009 12:00 am
