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ImperialIIClass t1_j5yg5co wrote

> Pennsylvania’s environmental regulator says, over a five-year period, more than half of conventional oil and gas operators failed to report how much gas they pulled from the ground and whether their equipment is safe.

Oh.

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bdschuler t1_j5ygs2g wrote

Wish this news would enter more mainstream consciousness. For every person's clueless, DRILL, DRILL, DRILL post on the internet about wanting to drill in a protected area, I often explain how before they drill in pristine new areas, maybe they should finish the areas they abandoned. Most people are unaware these abandoned wells even exist.

Seems many people have no clue how often they open and close wells based on the economic swing of gas prices. They just assume they pump out all the gas and then clean up the area when they leave. They have no idea they start wells when the price is high and then skip town, and the damage they caused, the moment prices drop.

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Dispatcher12 t1_j5yjl7c wrote

There's also the matter of the way wells SHOULD be drilled and cased, and the way some of them ACTUALLY ARE drilled and cased... Per people I know who have worked in the industry in my area.

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rednib t1_j5ynuzd wrote

Is eye roll strain a real medical condition?

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tempestveil t1_j5ysmx8 wrote

SO SHOCKED. sad. rich people do whatever they want and we just do what we can day by day

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IamSauerKraut t1_j5yu140 wrote

Since most of the drillers are from out-of-state, is it any surprise they don't give a crap about PA laws, especially environmental laws?

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IamSauerKraut t1_j5yua56 wrote

Replying to ImperialIIClass (#1,504,473)

But the environmental regulator also failed to enforce the reporting law, the same as they failed to ensure the drillers and pipeline companies were paying required fees to the Commonwealth with the result being that PA taxpayers carried their share of the tax burden.

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IamSauerKraut t1_j5yur6h wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#1,506,176)

For years, those same companies also did not pay the required per mile rent for crossing public lands. That changed somewhat only after the PAGC threatened to close some of their facilities due to a funding shortfall. Now the PAGC is awash with cash.

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Finrodsrod t1_j5yvno6 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#1,506,176)

All colluded under and developed by Tom Corbett's governorship. PA should have been the next Texas in terms of natural gas, but Tommy C prefers to sell out the state, protect pedophiles like Sandusky, and to top it off have PA citizens pay more taxes on gasoline.

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Woodyee101 t1_j5yvrmt wrote

Replying to tempestveil (#1,506,217)

Exactly. Like Nancy Pelosi making millions on Google stock right before DOJ announces an investigation. And Joe Biden, look at him, worth 10’s of millions because his shell companies run by crack head Hunter.

−44

aust_b t1_j5yxzv9 wrote

wow, its almost like we keep reliving the tragedy of the commons every fucking day, yet we need to DeReGuLaTe.

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reverendsteveii t1_j5yyuj1 wrote

Here comes an $8 fine and a stern chiding from the lawmakers they own

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tempestveil t1_j5z0vlq wrote

Replying to Woodyee101 (#1,506,657)

yup and then people like Donald Trump get to create, establish, and then go defunct on scams like "Trump Universities"

Its really just rich people vs everyone else. They dont care about your creed, race, sex, all they care is that were poor and theyre rich and that it stays that way because they want the control&power. Insane.

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pedantic_comments t1_j5z37go wrote

Replying to reverendsteveii (#1,507,177)

That’s not what’s happening. The DEP issued a report highlighting the problem and asks for legislation and resources. They are doing their jobs and saying we need to come up with a better system to enforce compliance - otherwise PA gets stuck with the bill for all the damage violations cause. It’s a regulatory body identifying a big problem and offering legislative fixes, like increasing the bonds these companies pay to operate here.

[The article also insinuates that the money from drillers has corrupted our state legislature.]

Blaming regulators here instead of the corporate assholes messing with our environment and our political systems is stupid.

TLDR; In our analogy, there’s one unarmed cop outside of an armed robbery situation, and they are asking for backup and permission to do more than write a mean letter or issue a small fine.

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Newkid92 t1_j5z4t71 wrote

They just keep adding more and more pretty soon it'll be like west Virginia here.... Everyone will get cancer and the government will be like we have NO IDEA what's happening oh my god how could this happen 🥴

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penguins8766 t1_j5z9hvp wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#1,506,176)

The borough where I live, whored themselves out to Penn Energy as they have 4-5 in the community. My family has yet to see any benefit to them coming in. Same for other residents.

Edit: Spelling

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Fall3n7s t1_j5zdnrv wrote

It's not even unconventional wells. There are thousands of conventional wells that were drilled in the 1900's that are just orphaned across the state. If you walk through the woods in western PA you will see pipes or leftover production equipment that was just too heavy to steal.

These are problematic 2 ways. First, they're most likely leaking methane and secondly depending on their location and depth they could be hit during the drilling of a unconventional well which creates all kinds of issues.

The reason why they're still there? They cost 10's of thousands to plug. PADEP ain't got the budget to do that across the state. So they started making drilling companies plug wells that impacted their drilling plans as a way to try to and get caught up. However, there are just too many for this to be a feasible practice. Plus the pushback by drillers is pretty high.

https://gis.dep.pa.gov/PaOilAndGasMapping/OilGasWellsStrayGasMap.html

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crazypants9 t1_j5zdyy7 wrote

Like you thought this wouldn’t happen? Wait until they start to leak. New York banned fracking because they know the danger and the recklessness the gas industry employs

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Allemaengel t1_j5zhnmi wrote

The logging companies stripped the forests bare back in the day eroding mountainsides and creating flash floods.

The anthracite and bituminous coal companies left the land scarred by culm banks, subsiding tunnels, old strip mines and creeks filled with mine drainage.

The western PA oil industry left abandoned wells behind.

The concrete and slate industries in the Lehigh Valley left water-filled quarries everywhere.

The defunct steel companies and railroads leaving abandoned structures and contaminated soil behind around their mills and railyards.

This state's politicians never stopped any of them from doing what they did, why would Harrisburg stop the gas companies now?

Answer: Money's 200+ years experience do the talking in our state's politics, that's why.

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mister_pringle t1_j5zmsr1 wrote

Replying to Finrodsrod (#1,507,469)

> The report, however, does not criticize Gov. Wolf directly despite his oversight of both DEP and DOH.

> The Wolf administration says since coming into office, the DEP vastly increased the number of well inspections and citations, and has fined drilling companies more than $67.5 million for environmental violations.

> While the public relations arm of the Wolf administration put the blame on the Corbett administration, the administration’s attorneys lambasted the report itself.

So you’re going along with ex Governor Wolf in blame shifting what happened on his watch? Bold move. Good for you.

−14

25Bam_vixx t1_j5zt0iy wrote

It’s only a law if it’s enforced

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Dhrakyn t1_j5zxtg4 wrote

When will the mouth breathers in red states learn that the oil and gas industry will fuck you at every chance they get and don't care about anything except profits?

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IrresponsibleScience t1_j603591 wrote

Maybe we need to change how the clean up and removal of the drill sites are managed so that the companies pay in bulk upfront and then into a fund that’s managed by the state to cover the cost of removing these.

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NotNowDamo t1_j6039vm wrote

Replying to Finrodsrod (#1,506,635)

Whoa, let's remember Rendell also supported the gas companies and was governor in 2008 (you know the start of the boom).

Corbett was governor in 2011, long after drilling started. He merely continued Rendell's policy. The gasoline tax was at the very end of his term and was bipartisan.

Not saying Corbett was a great governor, but let's get our facts straight. Rendell was the one in office when these things were being decided, was critical of NY for having a moratorium on drilling, and later went to work for a firm with investments in fracking.

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Spfm275 t1_j60clp9 wrote

Replying to Dhrakyn (#1,511,566)

Unlike the mouth breathing blue tribe! Who just elected Fetterman ...who let me check my notes here....endorses, approves, and is in favor of fracking. BOTH sides will fuck us all over until we collectively stop voting for them.

I know the horror! How could I dare utter the sinful phrase BOTH sides! It's not like we have had two parties dominate our country for decades as it has crept further and further into a capitalist dystopian hellhole.

Surely it's only that one sides fault!

−2

badpeaches t1_j60sae4 wrote

Replying to Generic_Mustard (#1,515,483)

That's weird cause they're not even supposed to contribute to political campaigns. This is their work around.

> #Who can’t contribute > A political committee is prohibited from knowingly accepting a contribution that violates the prohibitions on contributions.

>##Corporations and labor organizations >The Federal Election Campaign Act prohibits corporations and labor organizations from making contributions in connection with federal elections. (A corporation or labor organization may pay the expenses of setting up, administering and soliciting contributions for its own political committee, called a separate segregated fund (SSF or PAC). A party committee may accept contributions from a corporate or labor PAC registered with the FEC.) This prohibition applies to all types of incorporated organizations, except political committees that incorporate only for liability purposes. National banks and federally chartered corporations, such as federal savings and loan associations, are prohibited from making contributions in connection with state and local as well as federal elections.

https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/taking-receipts-political-party/who-can-and-cant-contribute-party-committee/

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Generic_Mustard t1_j60t4cn wrote

Replying to Fall3n7s (#1,509,033)

As a child I had my finger smashed playing around with a DEP abandoned oil well.

30 years later, my finger is still misshapen and the well is still there, unplugged and accessible for the next generation to learn a lesson.

Thanks for posting the map!

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Generic_Mustard t1_j60tphd wrote

Replying to badpeaches (#1,515,573)

Yeah it sucks.

And if you work for a large corporation, there is usually a time in the year where they pass the hat around and ask all employees to contribute to the PAC and to assume that whatever the PAC supports is in the best interest of the company, and therefore in yours as well as an employee.

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DamonRunnon t1_j617njb wrote

We got gas right under our feet, blah, blah, blah said a republikan not long ago and why aren't we tearing up the State to get it?

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jayandsilentjohn t1_j61cedc wrote

They should start up the classic Wild West bulletin and post them. Why don’t they post the names of the company, maybe a photo of the head guy. Maybe a reward if brought to justice. Seems like me may need to go back to the old way.

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sirpranksamillion t1_j61f7m2 wrote

Replying to IrresponsibleScience (#1,512,261)

This needs to happen. Large Oil and gas companies have sold their old wells to smaller companies who then create shell companies, transfer ownership of the old, nonproducing wells and then file bankruptcy, relieving them of their rights to plug said wells. Then it’s on the state to cover the cost of plugging. Not saying everyone does this but I have heard of Appalachian companies following this process. Really crooked

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sirpranksamillion t1_j61fwf5 wrote

Replying to Fall3n7s (#1,509,033)

Wait til you see how much money it will cost to plug the large, unconventional Marcellus/Utica wells they are drilling now. They started drilling these well types up here around 2008 and the plugging of them has only really begun in the last 5 years. It can get into the millions to plug one well to PA standards. It’s the elephant in the room for alot of Appalachian drilling companies

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Buris t1_j61rrb3 wrote

The fact is fracking really isn’t all that profitable, way more money in finding the big deposits of easily attainable oil than messing around spending millions with only tiny deposits to suck up

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thomport t1_j628gsr wrote

Sounds like what the big coal companies did to places like the Wyoming Valley. The coal Barrons took the money, destroyed the land, and the waterways, then left, leaving the taxpayers to pay to clean up the mess.

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GTholla t1_j653z0a wrote

Replying to Spfm275 (#1,513,509)

>something something libruls frack 2!!

I also only vote for one issue, and get personally offended when my party is attacked! How do you do, fellow mouth breathers?

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NotNowDamo t1_j69g0yj wrote

Replying to HogwartsKate (#1,552,018)

I don't disagree, but the governor does do things like campaign on behalf of bills they agree with, and have a louder voice than state representatives. Also, they have that veto power.

But that aside, even if the governor had more power, OP still was incorrect in that it happened during Rendell's watch and not Corbett's.

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