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Natural Gas Companies Fined for Hydrochloric Acid Spill in PA

By Paul Napoli

December 18, 2009

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has fined Chesapeake Appalachia LLC and Schlumberger Technology Corp. $15,557 each for a 295-gallon hydrochloric acid spill at a natural gas drilling site in northern Pennsylvania.

Chesapeake staff notified the DEP on February 9, 2009 that a 21,000-gallon tank containing 36 percent hydrochloric acid was leaking at the company's Chancellor well site in Asylum Township, Bradford County. A DEP inspector investigated the report and found that the tank had two leaks and was losing about 7.5 gallons of hydrochloric acid per hour.

Chesapeake's emergency contractor began spill remediation operations that evening by removing freestanding acid from the ground with absorbent pads, excavating trenches to contain the acid, neutralizing acid-contaminated soil with soda ash and hydrated lime, and transferring about 11,000 gallons of acid from the leaking tank to two temporary tanks.

The contractor also excavated about 126 tons of contaminated soil and removed more than 13,800 gallons of a hydrochloric acid and water mixture from the well site.

"Fortunately, this hazardous waste spill was promptly reported, which proved critical in limiting the environmental damage,' said DEP Northcentral Regional Director Robert Yowell.

Chesapeake Appalachia LLC used the hydrochloric acid for hydraulic fracturing.

A layer of rock 365 million years old called the Marcellus Shale rock formation extends deep underground from Ohio and West Virginia northeast into Pennsylvania and southern New York and is believed to hold a giant natural gas reserve. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking is a drilling process used to extract natural gas from the earth in which a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is pumped deep underground to break apart the rock formation and release the gas.

Chesapeake Appalachia LLC is a natural gas exploration company located in Charleston, West Virginia and Schlumberger Technology Corp. is a natural gas service company based in Sugar Land, Texas.

As of July 2009, there were 347 DEP permitted gas wells in Bradford County, compared to only 48 wells in the county in July of 2008. Chesapeake Appalachia LLC holds 192 of those wells and is the most prolific natural gas exploration and drilling company in Bradford County.

Environmental hazards can cause serious illnesses or even death among children and adults living in areas where there is pollution, toxic spillage, chemical seepage, improper waste disposal and other environmental issues. Because the companies that cause these hazards often have excellent attorneys and a lot of money available for fighting claims, it is important that you hire an attorney immediately if you feel that an environmental hazard caused your illness or the illness of a family member. Call Napoli Bern Ripka LLP today at 888-529-4669 to discuss your legal options.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Napoli

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on December 20, 2009 (boomark / email).