EQT agrees to more than $300K in civil penalties at Mon Valley well sites
A Marcellus shale natural gas exploration company has agreed to pay more than $300,000 in civil penalties for problems at two drilling sites in the Mon Valley.
The consent assessment between EQT Production Co. and the state Department of Environmental Protection involves sediment-laden water escaping the sites and the construction of a metering station without a DEP permit in Forward Township, Allegheny County.
The DEP announced the agreement Monday, stating that water that overtopped sediment and erosion controls at what is known as the Prentice Site made its way into a tributary to Kelly Run.
The violations were noted in Feb. 23, 2018, DEP inspections of the Prentice and Fetcher drilling sites.
The DEP said numerous erosion and sediment controls were “inoperable or ineffective.” It also said EQT, of Pittsburgh, violated the Clean Streams Law by failing to report the problems to the DEP.
A corrective action plan was completed at Prentice May 29, and the violations at the Fetcher Site were corrected by Nov. 1, the DEP said.
It also said EQT agreed to the DEP’s findings in the agreement that was signed April 18.
The company also agreed to not challenge the findings.