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Stone Energy Corporation, the company that has been drilling for natural gas in Clinton Township, Wayne County, is being pressed by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to comply with their regulations.
Carol Collier, Executive Director of the DRBC, told the Upper Delaware Council (UDC), Thursday night, that it has informed Stone Energy that it will need to apply for and receive approval from the commission before it can extract natural gas in Wayne County.
The company began drilling this Spring on the lands of Louis Matoushek near Creamton. As of the end of July, this is the only natural gas drilling that has begun in Wayne County despite many hundreds of applications to the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), according to the DEP.
Collier said that a letter was sent by the DRBC to the company over a month ago and so far there has been no reply. A compliance letter was sent Wednesday. “There are fines running,” said Collier.
The June 6th letter from Collier to Stone Energy stated in part, “We understand the project to include among other things water withdrawals, the addition of chemicals to the water, the injection of the water into the ground and the recovery, storage, reuse and/or disposal of the water.” The letter goes on to say that in accordance with the Delaware River Basin Compact and the DRBC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, “a project sponsor may not commence any withdrawal of ground or surface water from the basin, drill any well, construct any impoundment or other associated appurtenances, discharge to the ground waters or surface waters of the basin or otherwise undertake the project until the sponsor has applied for and received approval from the commission.”
The company also plans to drill in neighboring Mount Pleasant Township.
DEP has advised the DRBC that it will be requiring all natural gas drillers to obtain DRBC or Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) approval as a condition of Pa. DEP-issued permits for projects in those two basins. In addition, drillers will be required to obtain DRBC or SRBC approvals prior to the initiation of any activities.
She said that the DRBC requires review if as much as 100,000 gallons per day is withdrawn in a 30 day period. She added that the DRBC is not aiming to stop natural gas drilling, but rather “to do it as smart as we can so we don’t dry up our trout streams.”
Collier suggested that perhaps certain areas should be restricted from drilling, due to sensitivity of environmental issues. UDC’s delegate from the Town of Hancock, Fred Peckham, replied that if access were restricted, perhaps the property owner should be compensated, whose right to extract minerals from the ground would be infringed. Collier stated she did not feel restricting access was in the purview of the DRBC, but was suggesting it should be considered.
The Millennium Pipeline, which will carry natural gas, is currently being constructed through New York State’s Southern Tier and Upper Delaware region. Charles Wielamd, UDC’s Town of Tusten representative, asked if the DRBC could regulate any feeder pipeline from Wayne County drill sites, that might go underneath the Delaware River to access the Millennium Pipeline.
Collier stated they wouldn’t have control over that unless it affected the flood plain. She said she understood the gas well in Wayne County had been drilled and is capped, without means at present to pipe the gas elsewhere, which might be extracted.
The UDC meets on the first Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at their offices at 211 Bridge St., Narrowsburg, NY (opposite the Tusten Theater). Call (845)252-3022 or visit online at www.upperdelawarecouncil.org for more information.
Stone Energy Corporation, the company that has been drilling for natural gas in Clinton Township, Wayne County, is being pressed by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to comply with their regulations.
Carol Collier, Executive Director of the DRBC, told the Upper Delaware Council (UDC), Thursday night, that it has informed Stone Energy that it will need to apply for and receive approval from the commission before it can extract natural gas in Wayne County.
The company began drilling this Spring on the lands of Louis Matoushek near Creamton. As of the end of July, this is the only natural gas drilling that has begun in Wayne County despite many hundreds of applications to the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), according to the DEP.
Collier said that a letter was sent by the DRBC to the company over a month ago and so far there has been no reply. A compliance letter was sent Wednesday. “There are fines running,” said Collier.
The June 6th letter from Collier to Stone Energy stated in part, “We understand the project to include among other things water withdrawals, the addition of chemicals to the water, the injection of the water into the ground and the recovery, storage, reuse and/or disposal of the water.” The letter goes on to say that in accordance with the Delaware River Basin Compact and the DRBC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, “a project sponsor may not commence any withdrawal of ground or surface water from the basin, drill any well, construct any impoundment or other associated appurtenances, discharge to the ground waters or surface waters of the basin or otherwise undertake the project until the sponsor has applied for and received approval from the commission.”
The company also plans to drill in neighboring Mount Pleasant Township.
DEP has advised the DRBC that it will be requiring all natural gas drillers to obtain DRBC or Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) approval as a condition of Pa. DEP-issued permits for projects in those two basins. In addition, drillers will be required to obtain DRBC or SRBC approvals prior to the initiation of any activities.
She said that the DRBC requires review if as much as 100,000 gallons per day is withdrawn in a 30 day period. She added that the DRBC is not aiming to stop natural gas drilling, but rather “to do it as smart as we can so we don’t dry up our trout streams.”
Collier suggested that perhaps certain areas should be restricted from drilling, due to sensitivity of environmental issues. UDC’s delegate from the Town of Hancock, Fred Peckham, replied that if access were restricted, perhaps the property owner should be compensated, whose right to extract minerals from the ground would be infringed. Collier stated she did not feel restricting access was in the purview of the DRBC, but was suggesting it should be considered.
The Millennium Pipeline, which will carry natural gas, is currently being constructed through New York State’s Southern Tier and Upper Delaware region. Charles Wielamd, UDC’s Town of Tusten representative, asked if the DRBC could regulate any feeder pipeline from Wayne County drill sites, that might go underneath the Delaware River to access the Millennium Pipeline.
Collier stated they wouldn’t have control over that unless it affected the flood plain. She said she understood the gas well in Wayne County had been drilled and is capped, without means at present to pipe the gas elsewhere, which might be extracted.
The UDC meets on the first Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at their offices at 211 Bridge St., Narrowsburg, NY (opposite the Tusten Theater). Call (845)252-3022 or visit online at www.upperdelawarecouncil.org for more information.
