Cabot Fined $56,650 for PA Chemical Spills
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The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has fined Cabot Oil and Gas Corp., of Houston, TX, $56,650 for three spills of a hazardous water/liquid gel mixture at its Heitsman natural gas well in Dimock Township, Susquehanna County, last month.
Cabot extracts natural gas from the earth in a process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in which they pump a mixture of water, sand and chemicals deep underground to break apart the rock formation and release the gas.
On Sept. 24, DEP ordered Cabot to cease all hydro fracturing in Susquehanna County and submit an updated plan and an engineering study after Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. had two spills at its Heitsman well on Sept. 16 and a third spill on Sept. 22. The spills totaled about 8,000 gallons that polluted a nearby wetland and caused a fish kill in Stevens Creek.
All three spills involved a water/liquid gel mixture used in the hydraulic fracturing process. Cabot uses a chemical liquid gel called LGC-35 manufactured by Halliburton Energy Services of Duncan, OK. It dissolves in water, making cleanup difficult. Halliburton’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for LGC-35 states it to be a known carcinogen in laboratory animals. The MSDS warns inhalation of the chemical to may cause respiratory irritation, allergic reaction, chemical pneumonia, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, incoordination, slurred speech and unconsciousness. Ingestion of LGC may cause irritation of the mouth, throat and stomach, dizziness, drowsiness, incoordination, slurred speech, tremors, convulsions and unconsciousness. It may also cause aspiration leading to chemical pneumonitis including coughing, difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing up blood and pneumonia, which can be fatal.
Cabot's engineering study showed that the pipe couplings and hoses that ruptured and caused the spills were likely the result of pressure built by an unusually high 240-foot difference in elevation between the field of water tankers and the Heitsman well pad. The company proposed changes to its operations to help prevent further releases. The DEP allowed the company to resume hydro fracking activities on October 16 reviewing the company’s revised engineering plan.
“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. “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.”
A layer of rock 365 million years old called the Marcellus Shale rock formation stretches underneath 54 of the Pennsylvania's 67 counties and is believed to hold a giant natural gas reserve. It is valued at $1 trillion and an estimated 10 percent of it could supply the entire United States for two years.
Pennsylvania’s budget relies on a plan to raise more than $200 million over two years by opening up more state forests to gas drilling. Environmentalists and others who oppose the gas drilling are fighting the decision. Gov. Rendell said he was sending his top two environmental officials to lobby lawmakers because the fight was threatening the budget deal. He also said the new leases would not damage the state forests because the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will be careful to steer drilling companies to the areas with the biggest gas reserves to produce the most revenue for the least environmental impact.
Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. has 128 permitted well sites and more than 40 completed wells in Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna County. The company has also had a series of environmental violations this year, including a DEP citation in March for allowing methane to escape into residents' drinking water.
Environmental hazards can cause serious illnesses or even death among children and adults living in areas where there is pollution, toxic spillage, chemical seepage, improper waste disposal and other environmental issues. Because the companies that cause these hazards often have excellent attorneys and a lot of money available for fighting claims, it is important that you hire an attorney immediately if you feel that an environmental hazard caused your illness or the illness of a family member. Call Napoli Bern Ripka LLP today at 888-529-4669 to discuss your legal options.