Range reopens impoundments
Two Marcellus Shale impoundments in Mt. Pleasant and Chartiers townships that were the subject of a consent agreement last September between Range Resources and the state Department of Environmental Protection are back in operation, while five other sites are still in the process of being closed and remediated.
The Carter impoundment in Mt. Pleasant is again being used to store fresh water, which is in compliance with the consent agreement that resulted in Range paying $4.15 million for various leaks and issues at several Washington County impoundments. Upgrades to the Carol Baker impoundment in Chartiers were completed, and it was put back into service following DEP approval.
Per conditions of the consent agreement, Range agreed to close three impoundments in Hopewell Township and one in Cecil Township. The Yeager impoundment in Amwell Township, which is the subject of ongoing litigation, also was named in the consent agreement and has since been removed.
The Carter impoundment was permitted to continue operating, but solely for fresh water storage. Several residents living next to the impoundment complained about its use and the truck traffic it brings. Mt. Pleasant’s zoning board issued notices of violation against four of Range’s impoundments, including Carter, in July 2013. Range appealed that decision, and it is pending in Washington County Court. Mt. Pleasant officials and the township’s solicitor did not return emails and phone calls seeking a clarification of whether the township is able to enforce those notices of violation while an appeal is pending.
Range also agreed to upgrade the Carol Baker impoundment and the Jon Day impoundment in Amwell in accordance with “next generation” standards using thicker liners, a real-time leak-detection system and a brine-resistant clay liner system underneath the impoundments.
Mark Windle, a Range spokesman, said the Jon Day impoundment will be upgraded as soon as the weather improves. He said the five impoundments that are being closed have been out of service for some time.
DEP spokesman John Poister said Range is on schedule and in compliance with the plan. Range installed several groundwater monitoring wells at the impoundments that will be closing. The company also is required to submit soil tests by May 1 for four of the five impoundments being closed.
Cindy Fisher, vice chairwoman of the Cecil Township Board of Supervisors, said she thinks it’s “an extremely lengthy amount of time” to get soil test results. She said the township appreciates that Range is working toward the removal of the impoundment, but she said township officials “knew there were problems at Worstell for years” and are eager to see the final test results.
Range was issued a notice of violation just nine days before the consent agreement was signed for “leaks of fluids” that affected groundwater at Worstell. Residential wells near the site were not affected.
Soil test results for the Bednarski impoundment in Hopewell are due by Nov. 1. The impoundment is currently being cleaned out, and rain water is being removed.
“As with all of our liners, we follow the specific regulatory process which allows us to either recycle the materials or take them to an approved landfill,” Windle said. “Any rain water that collects in these impoundments is collected and either recycled or handled according to DEP regulations.”
Poister said Range also removed affected soil from the Jon Day and Yeager impoundments.
Many companies operate fresh and wastewater impoundments so that water can be used and recycled in the hydraulic fracturing process. In Pennsylvania, there are few deep-injection wells for water disposal, and trucking the water to a neighboring state can be costly.
Some officials believe there are better alternatives to the industry practice. John Quigley, Gov. Tom Wolf’s nominee for secretary of the DEP, announced this week that he believes impoundments are threats to water and air quality, the Associated Press reported.
“We’re taking a real strong look at impoundments,” Quigley said. “How they’re used, when they’re used, if they’re used. … Clearly there’s evidence that suggests that the chemicals that volatilize from wastewater impoundments are certainly a potential pathway for local health impacts. They’re also a potential pathway for water contamination, so you’ve got to look at where are the opportunities to reduce that risk.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.