SRBC Approves 31 Water Resources Projects at June Meeting – Most Related to Marcellus Drilling
June 28, 2011 Hydraulic Fracturing, Industrywide Issues, Pipelines, Regulation
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) had a busy quarterly meeting on June 23, held in North East, Maryland. Among the things they did, SRBC commissioners approved 31 water resources projects, the vast majority of which are related to drilling in the Marcellus Shale. The list of new projects approved, previous projects modified and into-basin diversions is detailed below.
The commissioners also approved the release and publication of a proposed rulemaking package to revise Project Review regulations. Among the key provisions of the proposed rulemaking, the changes would: (1) incorporate commission policy to allow for interbasin diversions of flowback from one drilling pad to another for re-use in hydrofacture operations to be handled under the Approval by Rule (ABR) program; (2) replace specific shale name references with a generic category of "unconventional natural gas development"; (3) add language to authorize the "renewal" of expiring approvals, including ABRs; (4) expanding the ABR program scope to include any hydrocarbon development projects that meet SRBC standard regulatory thresholds; (5) place into the regulations the current practice of requiring posthydrofracture reporting; and (6) restructure water source approvals under the ABR program.
The public comment period for the proposed rulemaking, which will begin immediately when they are posted on SRBC web site, will run through August 23, 2011. During the public comment period, SRBC will conduct public hearings on August 2, 10:00 a.m., Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market
Street, Harrisburg, Pa., and August 4, 7:00 p.m., Holiday Inn Binghamton Downtown, 2-8 Hawley St, Binghamton, N.Y.
SRBC Approved Water Resources Projects – June 23 Meeting
1. Anadarko E&P Company LP (Pine Creek – Jersey Mills), McHenry Township, Lycoming County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 1.5 million gallons per day (gpd) to develop natural gas wells.
2. Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc. Project Facility: Monroe Manor Water System, Monroe Township, Snyder County, Pa., for groundwater withdrawal of up to 302,000 gpd public water supply.
3. Carrizo Marcellus, LLC (Meshoppen Creek), Washington Township, Wyoming County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 2.160 million gpd to develop natural gas wells.
4. Carrizo Marcellus, LLC (Middle Branch Wyalusing Creek), Forest Lake Township, Susquehanna County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 432,000 gpd to develop natural gas wells.
5. Carrizo Marcellus, LLC (Unnamed Tributary to Middle Branch Wyalusing Creek), Forest Lake Township, Susquehanna County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 720,000 gpd to develop natural gas wells.
6. Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC (Wappasening Creek), Windham Township, Bradford County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 900,000 gpd to develop natural gas wells.
7. Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC (Wyalusing Creek), Rush Township, Susquehanna County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 715,000 gpd to develop natural gas wells.
8. Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC (Wysox Creek), Rome Township, Bradford County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 504,000 gpd to develop natural gas wells.
9. Exelon Generation Company, LLC, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Peach Bottom Township, York County, Pa., to increase consumptive water use from 32.49 million gpd up to 49 million gpd (Docket No. 20061209) to generate electric power.
10. Exelon Generation Company, LLC, Three Mile Island Generating Station, Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 122.8 million gpd and consumptive water use of up to 19.2 million gpd to operate the plant and generate electric power.
11. Fox Road Waterworks, LLC (South Branch Tunkhannock Creek), Tunkhannock Township, Wyoming County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 157,000 gpd for bulk water sale for natural gas well development.
12. Hydro Recovery, LP, Blossburg Borough, Tioga County, Pa., for groundwater withdrawal of up to 216,000 gpd and for consumptive water use of up to 316,000 gpd to treat flowback water and for bulk water sale to natural gas exploration and production companies.
13. Keystone Clearwater Solutions, LLC (Driftwood Branch), Emporium Borough, Cameron County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 999,000 gpd for bulk water sale for natural gas well development.
14. Keystone Clearwater Solutions, LLC (Lycoming Creek), Lewis Township, Lycoming County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 1.292 million gpd for bulk water sale for natural gas well development.
15. LHP Management, LLC (Fishing Creek – Clinton Country Club), Bald Eagle Township, Clinton County, Pa., to modify conditions of the withdrawal approval (Docket No. 20090906) for bulk water sale for natural gas well development.
16. Mount Joy Borough Authority, Mount Joy Borough, Lancaster County, Pa., for total groundwater withdrawal of up to 2.6 million gpd to distribute in a public water supply system.
17. Nature's Way Purewater Systems, Inc., Covington Township, Lackawanna County, Pa., for groundwater withdrawal of up to 57,000 gpd and consumptive use up to 257,000 gpd for bottled water. New Morgan Landfill Company, Inc., Conestoga Landfill, New Morgan Borough, Berks County, Pa., for groundwater withdrawal of up to 8,000 gpd to operate the landfill.
19. Talisman Energy USA Inc. (Wappasening Creek), Windham Township, Bradford County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 1 million gpd to develop natural gas wells.
20. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (Meshoppen Creek – Loop 319), Springville Township, Susquehanna County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 1.090 million gpd to hydrostatically test gas pipeline.
21. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (Susquehanna River – Loop 317), Asylum Township, Bradford County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 4.032 million gpd to hydrostatically test gas pipeline.
22. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (Tioga River – Loop 315), Richmond Township, Tioga County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 3.140 million gpd to hydrostatically test gas pipeline.
23. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (Towanda Creek – Loop 317), Monroe Township, Bradford County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 4.032 million gpd to hydrostatically test gas pipeline.
24. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (White Creek – Loop 319), Springville Township, Susquehanna County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal of up to 384,000 gpd to hydrostatically test gas pipeline.
25. Williamsport Municipal Water Authority, Williamsport City, Lycoming County, Pa., for groundwater withdrawal of up to 1.3 million gpd from Well 10 and up to 700,000 gpd from Well 11 for public water supply.
26. Chief Oil & Gas LLC, Borough of Ebensburg, Cambria Township, Cambria County, Pa., for an intobasin diversion of up to 249,000 gpd from the Ohio River Basin to develop natural gas wells.
27. Chief Oil & Gas LLC, Cambria Somerset Authority, Summerhill Township, Cambria County, Pa., for an into-basin diversion of up to 249,000 gpd from the Ohio River Basin to develop natural gas wells.
28. Chief Oil & Gas LLC, Highland Sewer and Water Authority, Portage Township, Cambria County, Pa., for an into-basin diversion of up to 249,000 gpd from the Ohio River Basin to develop natural gas wells.
29. Nature's Way Purewater Systems, Inc., Nature's Way Springs Borehole 1 (BH-1), Foster Township, Luzerne County, Pa., for an into-basin diversion of up to 99,000 gpd from the Delaware River Basin for water bottling.
30. Penn Virginia Oil & Gas Corporation. Project Facility: Port Allegany Borough, McKean County, Pa. Application for an into-basin diversion of up to 100,000 from the Ohio River Basin to develop natural gas wells.
31. Triana Energy, LLC, Johnson Quarry, Roulette Township, Potter County, Pa., for an into-basin diversion of up to 500,000 gpd from the Ohio River Basin to develop natural gas wells.
*SRBC Press Release (Jun 24, 2011) – SRBC Met June 23, Approved 31 Water Use and Withdrawal Projects (PDF)
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