State DEP Fines Drilling Company
Washington PA Observer Reporter
17 August 2010
By Christie Campbell, Staff writer
chriscam@observer-reporter.com
The state Department of Environmental Protection has fined Atlas
Resources $97,350 for allowing diluted hydraulic fracturing fluids to
overfill a wastewater pit and contaminate a high-quality watershed in
Hopewell Township.
The violations were discovered Dec. 5 and 6 at the Cowden 17 gas well
on Old Trail Road off Route 844. Once the unknown quantity of fluid
overflowed the impoundment's banks, it ran over the ground and into a
tributary of Dunkle Run.
Nate Calvert, public affairs coordinator for Atlas Energy, said the
fluid actually was 90 percent fresh water with the remaining 10 percent
recycled flowback water.
A nearby resident contacted DEP about the spill, said Katy Gresh, a DEP
spokeswoman. She said DEP then sent an inspector to the site, who
flagged off the area. The flow was stopped about 11:45 a.m. Dec. 6.
"We want these companies to be vigilant about monitoring what's going
on at their well sites," Gresh said.
Calvert said a pump by a contractor had activated improperly. Atlas is
holding the pump contractor responsible for the incident while Atlas is
reclaiming the site. It says there were no negative environmental
impacts from the spill.
Nevertheless, DEP said the spill violated the state's Oil and Gas Act
and Solid Waste Management Act, as well as its Clean Streams Law.
"It is unacceptable for drilling companies in Pennsylvania to threaten
public safety or harm the environment through careless acts, such as
this," DEP Southwest Regional Director George Jugovic Jr. said. "The
Marcellus Shale offers significant economic opportunities for
Pennsylvania, but these companies must adopt operating standards that
prevent these sorts of accidents and they must make protecting our
water resources a top priority."
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process during which liquid is
pumped under high pressure down a well and into a rock formation in
order to extract the gas.
Atlas said it has implemented changes to its procedures based on the
incident and its goal is to eliminate all negative environmental
incidents.