Citations issued following gas well site fire in East Finley
Federal regulators cited two companies whose workers were at a CNX Resources gas well site in East Finley Township the same date a fire broke out there in late June.
Late last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration notified Washington-based Coen Energy and another company, U.S. Well Services, of penalties against them stemming from an investigation the agency opened June 28. The night before, volunteer firefighters spent hours battling a fire that erupted about 10 p.m. while a worker was refueling frack trucks with high-pressure pumps.
Emergency crews were able to keep the fire away from the well pad, and wells were turned off once the fire started.
OSHA issued the citations against Coen – which was bought last year by New Hampshire-based Sprague Resources – and U.S. Well, which is headquartered in Texas Nov. 29, listing a penalty of $12,934 in each and giving a timeline for contesting the finding.
Both are listed in OSHA records as nonunion companies.
The agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Labor, said those two employers allegedly breached workplace safety regulations when employees were exposed to fire hazards at the Morris 31 well pad on Newland School Road.
OSHA documents said that on the date of the fire “and at times prior thereto employees were conducting ‘hot fueling’ operations while actively (fracking) the wells.” Officials characterized the purported violation as “serious” in nature but provided few other details in their records.
Seven frack trucks, a refueling truck and a man lift were destroyed in the fire, and an acid tanker was damaged. The worker who was refueling the trucks had fuel splashed in his face, and he was taken to Washington Hospital before being released. The fire did about $13.5 million in damage, the state police fire marshal said.
CNX spokesman Brian Aiello said the well site was “remediated and is back in operation.”
Representatives for Coen, Sprague and U.S. Well and didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
State Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Lauren Fraley said that agency’s own investigation into what happened at the well pad is ongoing.