DEP Finds Mismanagement in Fire
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
1 April 2011
By Bob Bauder
The state Department of Environmental Protection has determined that
mismanagement of volatile natural gas byproducts sparked a fire in
February at a Marcellus shale drill site in Washington County that
hospitalized three workers.
"The Department of Environmental Protection has investigated the
accident and concluded that the fire was caused by improper management
of condensate," agency Acting Secretary Michael L. Krancer wrote in a
March 21 letter sent to companies drilling in the Marcellus shale.
DEP spokeswoman Katy Gresh said Chesapeake Energy Corp., which owns the
drill site in Independence near the village of Avella where the fire
occurred Feb. 23, failed to follow industry practices for managing
byproducts known as condensate.
"In this case, Chesapeake did not follow those practices," she said.
"We are continuing to evaluate the information that we have with regard
to any potential enforcement action."
In a written statement Thursday, Chesapeake said it would continue to
work with government agencies and comply fully with Krancer's letter.
The letter outlined steps that Marcellus shale operators are required
to take to avoid future mishaps with condensate. A fire on March 31,
2010, at an Atlas Energy Inc. Marcellus drill site in Hopewell in
Washington County, also was the result of a company's mismanaging
natural gas condensate, DEP reported.
Neither the agency nor the state police would release a state police
fire marshal's findings on the Feb. 23 fire's cause. Trooper Steve
Thompson, a fire marshal in Washington County, said he did not believe
the investigation found evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
State legislators and environmentalists criticized DEP for not
releasing the police report, saying the public should be informed of
all findings in incidents that could affect public health and safety.
"To think the DEP would refuse to release that report to us is
unacceptable," said state Rep. Jesse White, D-Cecil.
"The public has a right to know what it says."
Vapors emanating from a series of holding tanks on the site ignited,
triggering an explosion that rattled houses several miles away and the
subsequent fire, Gresh said. DEP investigators found numerous ignition
points around the drill site and might never know exactly what
triggered the fire, she said.
The fumes ignited while workers were flow-testing three wells. The
testing included burning off natural gas in a process known as flaring.
Three injured workers have since been released from the hospital.
Bob Bauder can be reached at bbauder@tribweb.com or 412-380-5627.