Olympus Energy LLC receives $175K fine for erosion and sedimentation violations
Friday, June 4, 2021
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection fined Olympus Energy LLC $175,000 for erosion and sedimentation violations at a well pad in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, according to Farm and Dairy.
In a recent press release, the DEP cited several occasions in 2019 when the company allowed sediment-laden water to flow into a tributary of the Youghiogheny River near its Plutus well pad and Ceto tank pad in Elizabeth Township. Additionally, areas of the site were not stabilized and sedimentation and erosion occurred.
The driller has since remediated the site and the DEP found all violations had been corrected as of June 2020.
Learn more: Farm and Dairy > Pa. DEP fines drilling company $175,000 for violations in Allegheny County
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What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.