DEP on drilling

Inadequate staffing, protecting wells, treating wastewater

By SANDY LONG

PENNSYLVANIA — In the last issue of The River Reporter, Tom Rathbun, spokesman for the Office of Mineral Resources Management of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), discussed the agency’s perspective on issues related to natural gas exploration in Pennsylvania. This interview continues that conversation.

For more information, visit www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/new_forms/marcellus/marcellus.htm. Rathbun can be reached at wrathbun@state.pa.us or 717/787-1323.

TRR: During his recent testimony in Harrisburg, DEP acting secretary John Hanger testified that the DEP lacks the staffing resources to monitor the drilling process. Is that true? How many inspectors are there, currently? How many may be needed? Is it true that there is a hiring freeze currently in place?

Rathbun: The secretary said that DEP under current staffing will be unable to handle the influx of new permits that are expected as development of the Marcellus Shale expands, and that existing permitting and inspection workload is making it difficult for office staff to keep up with permit reviews. Currently all Marcellus Shale wells are being inspected. DEP has 36 field staff (inspectors and water quality specialists) monitoring drilling activities.

As for new staffing levels, the Bureau of Oil and Gas is preparing staffing requests in cooperation with the budget office. The governor and the legislature have been very responsive to previous requests for Oil and Gas staffing needs. The hiring freeze will not affect positions that are essential for public health and safety.

TRR: Where is Hanger’s testimony available?

Rathbun: His prepared remarks are online at www.depweb.state.pa.us/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=461877 .

The staffing request is not addressed in this testimony and will most likely be addressed in depth in Budget Testimony after the first of the year, or sooner if the legislature requests testimony on the subject.

TRR: We understand that DEP personnel are on travel restrictions for budgetary reasons. Would such measures apply to DEP inspectors?

Rathbun: These travel restrictions pertain to travel for conferences and overnight trips. They do not affect inspectors for mining, oil and gas or any other programs that protect public health and safety.

TRR: How many sites in Pennsylvania are actually using the deep-well fracturing process? Have there been any reports of environmental contamination at those sites, or negative impacts to nearby wells?

Rathbun: There are approximately 300 horizontal wells that are in some level of activity in the Marcellus Shale. There are a small amount of wells currently producing in Susquehanna and Greene counties.

DEP received a complaint from a property owner in the village of Hickory in Mt. Pleasant Township, Washington County on September 8, 2006. The individual stated that drilling had killed all the vegetation in his pond. The fish were not affected.

DEP collected multiple samples in multiple locations in the pond and sent them to the lab for testing. Lab results returned no presence of any drilling or gas well chemicals or fluids. The complaint was closed on October 4, 2006.

The individual was upset with the department for not finding against drilling companies operating in the area, but quite simply there was no evidence that drilling had an effect on his pond. Cattails and other aquatic plants are quite hardy and it is very unusual that something would kill them and not kill the fish. It would be the other way around if the “water” was contaminated. The fish would die but the plants would merely soak up the contaminants and continue to live. This situation appears to be more the result of some herbicide use, perhaps copper sulfate for algae control.

We have no reports of any private water wells being contaminated by Marcellus Shale drilling activities.

When drilling activity moves into an area, the department receives a number of complaints including dirt on roads, temporary changes to water wells, etc.

TRR: What kinds of temporary changes are you referring to?

Rathbun: Earth disturbances often cause temporary changes to water wells, such as diminished or interrupted flow, cloudiness or changes in taste. This can happen as a result of drilling, blasting or earth-moving activities. Once the activity ceases, the well returns to normal. There are a couple of factors at play here, including the age and depth of the water well and its distance from the earth disturbance.

There are a lot of wells in Pennsylvania that are quite old and quite shallow, so they are more susceptible to disturbances. If flow does not return to normal, state law requires drilling and mining companies to replace or restore the water supply. Many issues are resolved quickly by the well owner and drilling/mine operator without DEP’s involvement. The operator may simply drill the existing well deeper or will drill a new well. If the well owner is not satisfied with the operator’s response, they should contact the nearest DEP office and their complaint will be investigated within 10 days.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has information and links for private well owners at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/groundwater/gw_privwells.aspx.

TRR: What can well owners do to protect their well?

Rathbun: The best thing a landowner can do is to have their water well tested regularly by a DEP-certified laboratory. They need to do this before drilling/mining/new development affects their well or they really have no benchmark to work from.

We get many complaints from people who say drilling/mining/the new mall affected their well, but when we ask for flow/quality data from before the earth disturbance, they have nothing but anecdotal evidence. They can’t quantify the problem, which limits our ability to compare how water has changed.

TRR: How many permitted industrial wastewater treatment plants are there in Pennsylvania and where are they located? Is the state considering issuing permits for any new ones?

Rathbun: There are four treatment plants currently. All are located in the western part of the state in the traditional oil and gas patch. In addition, there are a number of permitted sewage facilities that have approval or are seeking approval to accept wastewater from oil and gas activities. Two of the approved facilities are in Northcentral PA—Jersey Shore and Bellefonte. We also are reviewing a request from the Sunbury power plant.

We are reviewing permit applications for two new industrial wastewater treatment plants in western Pennsylvania.