Hellbent

Hellbent tells the story of Grant Township, PA's epic fight to prevent a fracking waste injection well from being built in their community.

The moderated discussion covered how the film came together, the community’s legal and organizing strategies, the Hellbender salamander's role in the ecosystem, and ways to support the East Run Hellbenders' ongoing advocacy.

You can watch the replay of the panel discussion and the short, 19-minute Hellbent documentary here

Interior Department Releases Implementation Guidance to States on Infrastructure Law Efforts to Address Legacy Pollution

Grant criteria reflects swift progress on efforts to plug orphan wells

12/17/2021

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today released initial guidance for states interested in applying for federal grants that will fund the proper closure and cleanup of orphaned oil and gas wells and well sites, a key investment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law includes $4.7 billion for orphaned well site plugging, remediation, and restoration activities. Separate guidance will be shared with Tribes for additional targeted resources, as well as notices for nation-to-nation consultation, in the coming weeks.

“The Interior Department is committed to helping working families, often in rural and Tribal communities, who face hazardous pollution, toxic water levels, and land subsidence both during energy development and long after extractive companies have moved on,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's historic investments will help revitalize these local economies and support jobs, all while addressing environmental impacts from these legacy developments.”       Read more

Attention Neighbors and PA Residents

An injection well permit is pending for Clara Twp., Potter County, PA and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has refused:

   - to publish a notice in the local news blog (Solomons Word).
   - to hold a public hearing.
   - to hold a public meeting with a Q&A.
   - to offer a public comment period.

Many other communities in Pennsylvania have had the privilege of public comment periods, public notices, public meetings and public hearings for injection wells and other projects that have a potential to impact communities.
Clara Township is a disadvantaged rural community in the Allegheny River watershed that is under-served by public services such as US mail, news publications, transportation and internet services. Only a small handful of Clara Township residents and stakeholders are even aware of the pending Class ll D injection well application.

Clara Township residents deserve what residents of other communities have been offered by DEP.

See Injection Well Application documents here

Please call Governor Shapiro and request:

·  a public notice published in the PA Bulletin and Solomons Word, the local popular news source.
·  a public comment period.
·  a public meeting with a Q&A period.
·  a public hearing so residents and stakeholders may have their testimony put on record.

Gov. Shapiro's number:

717-787-2500

The Invisible Hand

The DEP Needs Your Help!

Pennsylvania is poised to receive the first installment of the Federal Infrastructure Investment Act Funding which is being administered by the Department of Interior. These funds are intended to plug orphan wells. Pennsylvania recently sent the DOI a list of wells to plug with the initial grant. However according to the DEP's Orphan Well Plugging Program this list was compiled over 30 years ago!

Volunteers are needed to visit these wells, obtain GPS coordinates and photographs because many of the wells have not been inspected by regulators in many years. If you're interested in volunteering please visit the following links for approximate  locations of the wells. According to the DEP the recorded locations could be as much as 2000' from the actual location. Visit the map here to see wells near you!

Clara Township, Potter County, PA Proposed Injection Well Action Alert &Timeline

ACTION ALERT! 

Plans have been made to hold an informational meeting to discuss a proposal to convert a conventional oil well ( in the photo above) in the Allegheny River watershed into a class II injection well.  Class II injection wells are used to dispose of waste fluids associated with oil and natural gas production. 

The Clara Township supervisors, local residents and members of local environmental advocacy organizations have scheduled a meeting for January 27 at 7:00pm!

(Clara Township Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clara-Township-Potter-County-Pennsylvania/104051812965315) (Contact Clara Township 814-698-2268)

They have been gathering information on the proposed waste disposal well. Their hope is to provide the information they gathered to the public and also listen to residents’ concerns so they may convey their concerns to the permitting authorities.  Applications for this project are on file and are pending approval by both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the (federal) Environmental Protection Agency.

Background 

On August 17, 2020 Roulette Oil & Gas LLC applied to the EPA for authorization to convert a conventional well into a Class II injection well in Clara Twp., Potter County, PA. (The authorization form is located here in Google Docs here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zgxfMx6_9ObUNdcvHv8Zx1F5lmpHRIBq/view?usp=sharing)

According to the PA Oil and Gas Map the location of the proposed injection well is in the Clara Oil and Gas Field near the Pleasant Valley, Clara Township border at Latitude DD: 41.894586 Longitude DD: -78.148143

You can see the location on Google Maps here: https://goo.gl/maps/GiZXjinNVtKgp12z6