Schreiner Oil And Gas Co. Complies With DEP Orders

Schreiner Oil And Gas Co. Complies With DEP Orders by Amanda Nichols, March 10, 2010, Bradford Era
Schreiner Oil and Gas Co. has responded to and complied with a Feb. 23 order issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection, proposing a comprehensive permanent solution to water issues afflicting two homes as a result of the company’s drilling activity near Hedgehog Lane. … The DEP previously determined the Ohio-based company was liable for negatively affecting the water supplies of nine Hedgehog Lane residences and had not rectified the situation in two of those homes completely. “They had installed some treatment systems, but it wasn’t throughout the entire house and those systems did not completely address the issues. These latest installments have done so,” said DEP Community Relations Coordinator Freda Tarbell on Tuesday. Tarbell explained that the newly approved restoration plan involves the installation of water treatment systems in the two remaining homes awaiting remediation of their water issues. “Both of the homes will be getting reverse osmosis systems which will remove total dissolved solids, chlorides, manganese, iron, dissolved methane and ethane gas from their water supplies,” Tarbell said. “There will also be pumps installed, water softeners and UV light to disinfect the water as part of the project.” The DEP ruled Schreiner responsible for the contamination in the homes out of negligence because the company, which has been actively drilling combination oil and gas wells in the area for two years, did not establish background water quality in the area prior to drilling. … Tarbell said various substances could easily seep into the groundwater through cracks in underground rockbeds created by the fracturing process of drilling for oil and gas, leading to the determination that Schreiner was the responsible party for the contamination. As an indication of the severity of the situation for the homes whose water had been contaminated, water coming out of the faucets at the Bailey residence prior to the initial partial rectification was able to be lit on fire due the levels of flammable gas mixed in.

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