Wyoming County Gas Well Spill Forces Evacuations

March 14, 2013 | 12:35 PM

The Scranton Times-Tribune reports that waste water is flowing from a gas well in Washington Township, Wyoming County. Three families have been evacuated and are staying in nearby hotels. More from the Times-Tribune:

The well was releasing the salty, chemically treated wastewater at around 800 gallons a minute but the flow has since been reduced to 400 gallons a minute, [said DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly]. About 5,400 barrels of the fluid have been captured in tanks and about 3,100 barrels of that has been trucked off site. There are 42 gallons in a barrel.
Some of the fluid is running off the pad but a temporary catch basin has been set up across the road on an adjacent leased property to contain it, she said. A well control crew is scheduled to arrive on site later this morning.

The well is operated by the Texas-based Carrizo Oil and Gas. Recent well site data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection shows Carrizo has 107 active wells in the state, and has paid more than $20,000 in fines for 48 violations.