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SRBC HOLDS QUARTERLY MEETING, APPROVES WATER USE AND WITHDRAWAL PROJECTS, HEARS UPDATES ON BASIN’S HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS AND SRBC’S REMOTE WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM
On March 18, SRBC held its quarterly business meeting in State College, Pa. Among its activities, SRBC voted on regulatory, compliance, administrative matters; authorized the use of funds to set up an SRBC satellite office in Sayre, Pa., to enhance SRBC’s compliance activities; presented updates on Susquehanna basin hydrologic conditions, National Flood Safety Awareness Week and SRBC’s Remote Water Quality Monitoring Network; and heard a presentation by Dr. James Grace, Deputy Secretary, Pa. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, on natural gas exploration on state forest lands.
SRBC’s voting commissioners and alternates were: Col. Peter DeLuca, SRBC Chair, Commander, North Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; John Hines, Deputy Secretary, Water Management, Pa. Department of Environmental Protection; Kenneth Lynch, Director, Region 7, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; and Herbert Sachs, Special Projects Coordinator, Office of the Secretary, Md. Department of the Environment.
The commissioners, under the public hearing portion of the meeting: (1) approved 16 applications for water resources projects (see list of approved and modified projects below); and (2) accepted settlements with Chesapeake Energy Corporation – Eastern Division, Novus Operating, LLC and Southwestern Energy Production Company on compliance matters related to natural gas well development in Bradford County, Tioga and Bradford Counties, Pa., respectively.
The commissioners also approved: (1) SRBC’s revised FY-2011 budget; (2) authorized the expenditure of funds to establish an SRBC satellite office in Sayre, Pa., with four staff members; and (3) authorized the expenditure of funds for professional services to perform aquatic resource surveys related to future surface water withdrawal applications.
Approved Projects (includes new approvals and modifications):
- Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. (Mosquito Creek – Hoffman), Karthaus Township, Clearfield County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 720,000 gallons per day (gpd) to develop and complete natural gas wells.
- EQT Production Company (West Branch Susquehanna River – Kuntz), Greenwood Township, Clearfield County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 900,000 gpd to develop and complete natural gas wells.
- EXCO-North Coast Energy, Inc. (West Branch Susquehanna River – Johnson), Clinton Township, Lycoming County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 999,000 gpd to develop and complete natural gas wells.
- Fortuna Energy Inc. (Fall Brook – Bense), Troy Township, Bradford County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 1 million gpd to develop and complete natural gas wells.
- Fortuna Energy Inc. (Unnamed Tributary to North Branch Sugar Creek – Besley), Columbia Township, Bradford County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 2 million gpd to develop and complete natural gas wells.
- Fortuna Energy Inc. (South Branch Sugar Creek – Shedden), Troy Township, Bradford County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 900,000 gpd to develop and complete natural gas wells.
- Fortuna Energy Inc. (Sugar Creek – Hoffman), West Burlington Township, Bradford County, Pa., to increase surface water withdrawal from 250,000 gpd to up to 2 million gpd to develop and complete natural gas wells.
- Graymont (PA), Inc., Pleasant Gap Facility, Spring Township, Centre County, Pa., for groundwater withdrawal of 99,000 gpd (30-day average) from the Plant Make-up Well to process limestone and produce industrial lime.
- Harley-Davidson Motor Company Operations, Inc., Springettsbury Township, York County, Pa., to add a groundwater withdrawal of 144,000 gpd (30-day average) from Well CW-20 to remediate system, without any increase to total system withdrawal quantity.
- Healthy Properties, Inc. (Sugar Creek – owner), North Towanda Township, Bradford County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 450,000 gpd for bulk sale of water to natural gas industry.
- Mountain Energy Services, Inc. (Tunkhannock Creek – Deer Park Lumber, Inc.), Tunkhannock Township, Wyoming County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 999,000 gpd for bulk sale of water to natural gas industry.
- Randy M. Wiernusz (Bowman Creek – owner), Eaton Township, Wyoming County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 249,000 gpd for bulk sale of water to natural gas industry.
- TerrAqua Resource Management (Tioga River – Larson Design Group), Lawrenceville Borough, Tioga County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 543,000 gpd to process and treat natural gas industry wastewater and for bulk sale of fresh water to natural gas industry.
- TerrAqua Resource Management, Lawrenceville Borough, Tioga County, Pa., for consumptive water use up to 543,000 gpd.
- XTO Energy, Inc. (Lick Run – Dincher), Shrewsbury Borough, Lycoming County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 249,000 gpd to develop and complete natural gas wells.
- XTO Energy, Inc. (Little Muncy Creek – Temple), Moreland Township, Lycoming County, Pa., for surface water withdrawal up to 249,000 gpd to develop and complete natural gas wells.
