DEP Drops $180,000 Fine On Chief Oil And Gas

The Department of Environmental Protection has issued another large fine to a natural gas drilling company.
More from the press release that just landed in our inbox:

Harrisburg – The Department of Environmental Protection announced today that Chief Oil & Gas LLC has paid $180,000 in civil penalties for a hydraulic oil spill and for failing to properly maintain a drill pit at a Marcellus Shale natural gas well in Jefferson Township, Somerset County.

A June 10, 2010 site inspection by DEP found evidence of the discharge of hydraulic oil onto the ground. Operators are required to notify DEP of any spills of that nature because the oil is classified as a residual waste. Chief did not notify DEP of the spill and was not permitted to discharge residual waste at the site.

Chief Oil & Gas has since successfully remediated the site.

Editor's Picks