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October 22, 2009

DEP fines gas company over spills

The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. $56,650 for three spills of a water/liquid gel mixture at its Heitsman natural gas well in

Dimock Township, Susquehanna County, last month.

“This penalty was assessed for Cabot’s violations of the Clean Streams Law, Solid Waste Management Act and Oil and Gas Act,” said DEP Northcentral Regional Director Robert Yowell, in a release. “We expect that Cabot will do a better job in the future of overseeing its contractors now that the company has an improved preparedness, prevention and contingency plan in place.”

 

Cabot had two spills at its Heitsman well on Sept. 16 and a third spill on Sept. 22. The spills totaled about 8,000 gallons and caused pollution in Stevens Creek and a nearby wetland. All three spills involved a water/liquid gel mixture used in the hydro fracturing process.

On Sept. 24, DEP ordered Cabot to cease all hydro fracturing in Susquehanna County and submit an updated plan and an engineering study. Cabot submitted those documents on Oct. 6.

 

DEP reviewed and approved the documents on Oct. 16, and gave Cabot the approval to resume hydro fracturing in the county.





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