A state investigation sparked by a local environmentalist who rented an airplane to gather photographic evidence has revealed an unreported contaminate release at a natural gas drilling site in Wayne County.
A preliminary investigation of the Oregon Twp. well pad, operated by Chesapeake Appalachia, found in October that a "weathered petroleum product" of unknown quantity was discharged onto the site and into a forested area, in breach of state environmental laws, according to the notice of violation issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The drilling firm reported no incidents, and DEP had been unaware of any problem. But Pat Carullo, a photographer and co-founder of Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, a Wayne and Pike county environmental watchdog organization, said he knew something was not quite right.
Mr. Carullo said he took aerial photographs in late August and September showing a direct line of leafless trees extending away from the well pad.
"It was completely obvious by the photographic evidence," he said......MORE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment