State says deal will restore water

DEP agreement with driller to prevent gas migration, restore water supplies DIMOCK — Terms of a new agreement are supposed to provide a long-term solution for migrating Marcellus shale gas that has affected 13 water supplies in Dimock Township, Susquehanna County, according to a statement from the Department of Environmental Protection. While environmental groups have expressed concerns, shale gas drillers have purchased leases in Wayne County and are said to be seeking Pike County drilling rights. The Susquehanna County consent order and agreement caps a DEP investigation of Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. that began early this year when numerous Dimock area residents reported evidence of natural gas in their water supplies. DEP inspectors discovered that the well casings on some of Cabot’s natural gas wells were cemented improperly or insufficiently, allowing natural gas to migrate to groundwater. The affected area covers nine square miles around Carter Road. The consent order and agreement provides a process that will give DEP more oversight of Cabot’s new well construction work in the affected area. Prior to drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or hydro fracking, the company will submit well casing and cementing plans to DEP. Once DEP provides written approval, Cabot may proceed. “The goal of the consent order and agreement is to ensure a long-term resolution to issues that have emerged in Dimock,” said DEP Northwest Regional Director Kelly Burch. “The company will focus on the integrity of the wells in the affected area in an attempt to determine the source of the migrating gas.” This past week, Cabot has provided an interim solution for all of the homes where water supplies have been affected. Cabot must develop a plan by March 31 to restore or replace the affected water supplies permanently. If Cabot fails to fix the defective casing and cementing by the March deadline, the company must plug defective gas wells or implement another alternative as approved by DEP. In addition, Cabot paid a $120,000 civil penalty for violations of the Oil and Gas Act, the Solid Waste Management Act and the Clean Streams Law. On Sept. 25, following a series of wastewater spills, DEP ordered Cabot to cease hydro fracking natural gas wells throughout Susquehanna County. The prohibition was removed after the company completed a number of important engineering and safety tasks. Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. is a Delaware-based company with a mailing address in Pittsburgh. For more information on oil and gas wells, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us - keyword: Oil and gas.