Jul 3, 2025 By Mike Jones 3 min read

A major natural gas drilling company is suing a township in Greene County after the municipality barred its heavy hauling equipment from using local roads to access work sites, although an agreement is apparently in the works to resolve the dispute.

Attorneys for EQT Production Co. filed the lawsuit June 18 against Morgan Township and its three supervisors asking for a federal judge to issue an injunction and expedite a review of the situation in which the company’s natural gas drilling in the township has come to a halt.

The federal lawsuit stems from the township supervisors apparently claiming EQT caused damage to local roads, specifically blaming the company for a “slip” on Prison Road. But EQT denied causing the damage in that particular area, saying its hauling vehicles had not used that road in more than two decades, according to the lawsuit.

But without an immediate fix to Prison Road, township officials threatened to revoke the company’s “heavy hauling” permits, which they ultimately did June 11 by prohibiting equipment from using any local roads. The lawsuit claims the company had previously offered to share some of the costs with the township to repair Prison Road despite not being responsible for the damage, but that offer went unanswered.

The restrictions meant the company could not continue plugging an abandoned well near Bacon Run Road or access other work sites in the township.

The company claimed the restrictions cost it $70,000 per day since it went into effect three weeks ago.

“After trying and failing to extract improper concessions from EQT by threat, the Defendants are attempting to derail EQT’s oil and gas operations in the Township and beyond,” the lawsuit states. “The Defendants’ unlawful conduct should end.”

Mark Dausch, who is the Pittsburgh-based attorney representing EQT in the lawsuit, could not be reached for comment. EQT asked for a preliminary injunction and expedited review due to the financial implications in which the company cannot operate in the township.

Township Solicitor Dennis Makel said Wednesday that the dispute was close to being resolved, although he did not elaborate on what conditions were being negotiated or when the heavy hauling restrictions might be lifted.

“I can’t say anything until it’s resolved,” Makel said. “We’ve had numerous discussions. The township had some discussions and after the concerns we’ve had, we’ve had some discussions and it’s being resolved.”

The lawsuit named the township and supervisors Shirl Barnhart, Erik Mollen and Jeff Sholtis.