EQT, Pennsylvania DEP appeal pollution fine
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
EQT Corp. and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection are appealing a water pollution fine imposed by the Environmental Hearing Board in May, according to Power Source.
The $1.1 million fine was a quarter of the original fine the DEP suggested for a 2012 wastewater pond leak that created widespread and persistent water contamination around a well site in the Marcellus Shale, in Tioga County. EQT argues the fine is still larger than the law allows.
EQT’s appeal cites more than a dozen legal errors in the hearing board’s assessment of the fine.
Learn more: Power Source > EQT and regulators appeal $1 million pollution fine
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Shale FAQ
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.