Companies accused of water pollution during Washington County gas pipeline construction

The state attorney general announced Wednesday criminal charges relating to Clean Streams Law violations during the 2015 construction of natural gas transmission lines in Washington County.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro said a statewide grand jury recommended the charges against National Fuel Gas Supply Corp. of Williamsville, N.Y., and subcontractor Southeast Directional Drilling of Casa Grande, Ariz.
The companies are accused of polluting an unnamed tributary to St. Patrick’s Run as well as groundwater at Route 22 near 121 Campbell Road in Robinson Township.
Shapiro said Southeast Directional Drilling employees testified that their supervisors told them to “look the other way'” about a small leak, not report the incidents and hide these incidents from the project’s daily reports.
A Washington County resident also testified about noticing a stream on his property turning gray and cloudy on the day the drilling fluid leaked, Shapiro said. He said the property owner can no longer use his drinking water well because of the pollution.
The charges against National Fuel were filed Tuesday before Senior District Judge Larry Hopkins in Cecil Township.
National Fuel could not be reached Wednesday afternoon for comment.