Annual Report
2023 Oil and Gas Annual Report
The mission of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is to protect Pennsylvania’s air, land and water resources and provide for the health and safety of its residents and visitors, consistent with the rights and duties established under the Environmental Rights Amendment (Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution). We will work as partners with individuals, organizations, governments and businesses to conserve and restore our natural resources and to address all current and future environmental challenges including climate change and environmental justice.
Organization
The DEP Office of Oil and Gas Management has recently maintained a staff of 190 professionals who are dedicated to operating a world class oil and gas regulatory program. As a result of the passage of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, federal monies were made available to pay for staff that administer this program. A variety of staff are required to implement this program including, oil and gas inspectors, water quality inspectors, geologists, compliance specialists, administrative staff and managers. In total, the Department is authorized to add up to 41 positions to its complement to effectively administer and implement this program. The Office of Oil and Gas Management began to hire additional staff in 2022 and phased in additional staff as workload increased and the federal funding was received to support these new positions.
The Office of Oil and Gas Management includes the Bureau of District Oil and Gas Operations that is comprised of three district offices and two permitting divisions. The Bureau of Oil and Gas Planning and Program Management is located in DEP’s central office and is responsible for administrative, policy and regulatory development functions.
This annual report reviews what was accomplished by the DEP Office of Oil and Gas Management in 2023 and explains what it plans to focus on in 2024. This report also highlights permitting, inspection and compliance efforts and presents trends in Pennsylvania's oil and gas industry.
For more detailed information, visit the DEP Oil and Gas Program website.
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In 2023, total natural gas production in Pennsylvania was 7.5 trillion cubic feet (TCF)
- The amount of natural gas produced in 2023 was slightly more than in 2022 and has remained relatively stable over the past three years.
- Pennsylvania is the second largest producer of natural gas in the nation (Texas produces the most).
Reporting Requirements
- The 2012 Oil and Gas Act requires conventional and unconventional operators to report production of oil, natural gas and wastes.
- The Unconventional Well Report Act of October 2014 amended the 2012 Oil and Gas Act to require operators of unconventional wells to submit to DEP natural gas production reports on a monthly basis. Prior to this, operators of unconventional wells were only required to submit a report on resource production to DEP semi-annually. Unconventional operators must report their production 45 days after the end of the month of production.
- The Unconventional Well Report Act did not affect the frequency of production reporting for operators of conventional wells. Conventional well operators continue to report production data to DEP on an annual basis. DEP accepts production data from conventional operators for the prior calendar year starting January 1st, but not later than February 15th of the following calendar year.
Prior to drilling a well, an operator must first submit the proper permit application to DEP for review and approval. Different types of permits and authorizations are related to oil and gas activities including, but not limited to:
881 Oil and Gas Drilling Permits Issued
203 Erosion and Sediment Control General Permits Issued
Note: This chart represents “new” Erosion and Sediment Control General Permits issued by DEP and does not include permit renewals, modifications etc.
44,746 Compliance Inspections Conducted by DEP
DEP inspects oil and gas well sites to ensure they are constructed and operated in accordance with approved permits. DEP’s goal is to inspect new wells at the beginning, middle and end of construction and development.
Increased inspections in 2023 can be attributed to several factors including the addition of several inspectors to focus exclusively on inspections related to the plugging of wells pursuant to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, inspections associated with several large enforcement cases, and inspections to identify abandoned and orphan wells.
In response to the actions taken by the Department of Environmental Protection to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus during 2020, adjustments were made to inspection protocols and the frequency of inspections at oil and gas sites. To protect the health and safety of DEP inspection personnel and the regulated community, DEP focused its inspection priorities on emergency response situations and responses to public complaints in early 2020. DEP inspectors also focused on administrative-related inspections during 2020 that could be conducted with reduced health and safety risks to its inspectors as a result of COVID. Inspection frequencies have since rebounded and steadily climbed to a record number of inspections in 2023.
10,201 Compliance Violations
DEP is committed to working with oil and gas operators to ensure well sites operate in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. DEP routinely provides compliance assistance through outreach and training opportunities. The graph below depicts violations at conventional and unconventional well sites and linear project sites such as pipelines. The graph also includes violations that are related to well site and administrative issues such as failure to meet reporting requirements.
DEP’s compliance and enforcement tracking database (eFACTS) was updated in 2017 to record an ongoing violation that is not otherwise corrected prior to a subsequent inspection as a separate violation. Therefore, DEP now has the ability to record multiple violations for the same incident if it is not corrected in a timely manner.
As a result of COVID during 2020, DEP inspectors were unable to conduct as many field inspections at active well sites; therefore, they focused on inspections at well sites such as pipelines and completed well sites where human interaction was minimized and administrative inspections. This resulted in a significant increase in the number of observed erosion and sedimentation violations and well-plugging related violations than in prior years. DEP inspectors observed a higher number of administrative violations such as the failure of operators to submit annual production and well integrity reports.
Of the 10,201 violations issued in 2023, 3,155 were administrative violations and 7,046 were environmental health and safety violations. Of the 3,155 administrative violations, 101 were not documented to specific conventional or unconventional wells, while 2,981 were documented to conventional wells and 73 were documented to unconventional wells. Of the 7,046 environmental health and safety violations, 1,378 were not documented to a specific conventional or unconventional well, while 4,192 were documented to conventional wells and 1,476 were documented to unconventional wells.
$3,711,616 Fines and Penalties Collected in FY2023-24
The following table lists total fines and penalties collected over the past six fiscal years:
| Fiscal Year (July 1 to June 30) | Fines and Penalties Collected |
|---|---|
2018-19 | $6,296,868 |
2019-20 | $28,327,593 |
2020-21 | $2,573,243 |
2021-22 | $1,769,498 |
2022-23 | $8,714,325 |
2023-24 | $3,711,616 |
Total | $51,393,143 |
Note: On January 3, 2020, DEP announced that it issued a $30.6 million civil penalty to ETC Northeast Pipeline for violations related to the 2018 Revolution Pipeline explosion and fire. This penalty is one of the largest civil penalties collected in a single settlement. $25.6 million was deposited into the Oil and Gas Well Plugging Fund, $3 million was deposited into the Clean Water Fund and $2 million was allocated for DEP-approved community environmental project that benefits Pennsylvania’s environment and the Waters of the Commonwealth. Specifically, this CEP removed a high-hazard dam and stabilized and restored of a section of the Traverse Creek in Raccoon Creek State Park.
Number of Oil and Gas Wells Drilled in Pennsylvania
Oil and gas operators drilled a total of 598 oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania in 2023. These wells included 421 unconventional gas wells and 177 conventional wells.
DEP developed an interactive GIS mapping tool that can be used to identify oil and gas wells that are located in Pennsylvania. In addition to specific well locations, this tool provides other information including production data, inspection results and compliance actions taken by DEP, and more. To learn about this tool, check out the tutorial and begin using the interactive map.
84% of Produced Fluids are Recycled and Reused
A typical conventional oil and gas well uses about 20,000 – 50,000 gallons of hydraulic fracturing fluid to produce oil and gas. A typical unconventional gas well uses about 15 - 20 million gallons of hydraulic fracturing fluid to produce natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing fluid is comprised mostly of water with a small amount of chemicals to help lubricate and to prevent mold and scale from building up in the well bore. Fluids that return to the surface after the hydraulic fracturing process are generally called produced fluids.
In 2023, about 84 percent of all produced fluids was recycled and/or reused in the production/hydraulic fracturing of other natural gas wells.
6% of Produced Fluids Disposed in Underground Injection Control (UIC) Disposal Wells
If produced fluids are unable to be reused to hydraulically fracture other wells, they are typically disposed in Class II Underground Injection Control disposal wells. In 2023, about 6 percent of produced fluids were disposed in Class II UIC disposal wells.
10% of Produced Fluids Stored for Reuse/Disposal & Treatment
About nine percent of produced fluids was stored for ultimate reuse or disposal and the remaining one percent was management under miscellaneous methods such as centralized waste treatment.
16 Active Underground Injection Control Disposal Wells in Pennsylvania
A Class II Underground Injection Control disposal well is used to dispose of produced fluids. Currently, there are 16 active permitted Class II Underground Injection Control disposal wells in Pennsylvania. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for reviewing and approving Class II Underground Injection Control disposal well permit applications in Pennsylvania; however, DEP also conducts a review of these permit applications to ensure state regulatory requirements are met prior to issuing a permit for well usage.
Most produced fluids that are not reused in Pennsylvania are transported to neighboring states such as Ohio and/or West Virginia where they are disposed in Class II Underground Injection Control disposal wells.
As a precautionary measure, DEP has determined that its technical permit review will consider developing permit conditions to address the mechanical integrity of the injection well and the potential for seismic events that could occur as a result of the disposal of produced fluids in Class II UIC disposal wells. Permit conditions to address the need for seismic monitoring are developed on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the proposed site. The current statewide seismic monitoring network in Pennsylvania consists of 42 permanent seismic monitors (plus 7 portable seismic stations located at two UIC well sites). An additional 32 permanent seismic stations are located in adjacent states in close proximity to Pennsylvania’s border.
| Operator | Permit Status | Municipality | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bear Lake Properties, LLC (Bittinger 1) | Active | Columbus Township | Warren |
2 | Bear Lake Properties, LLC (Bittinger 2) | Active | Columbus Township | Warren |
3 | Bear Lake Properties, LLC (Bittinger 3) | Active | Columbus Township | Warren |
4 | Bear Lake Properties, LLC (Bittinger 4) | Active | Columbus Township | Warren |
5 | Bear Lake Properties, LLC (Smith/Ras Unit 1) | Active | Columbus Township | Warren |
6 | Catalyst Energy, Inc. | Active | Keating Township | McKean |
7 | Columbia Gas of PA, Inc. (CGPA-5) | Active | South Beaver Township | Beaver |
8 | Cottonwood OPR Corp. (W. Shanksville Salt Water Disp. 1) | Active | Stonycreek Township | Somerset |
9 | EXCO Resources PA, LLC (Irvin A-19) | Active | Bell Township | Clearfield |
10 | PA Well Development, LLC (Weaver #1) | Active | Young Township | Jefferson |
11 | Penneco Environmental Solutions, LLC (Sedat 3A) | Active | Plum Township | Allegheny |
12 | Sammy-Mar, LLC (Povlik-1) | Active | Huston Township | Clearfield |
13 | Seneca Resources Corp. (38282) | Active | Highland Township | Elk |
14 | Seneca Resources Corp. (38268) | Active | Highland Township | Elk |
15 | Stonehaven Energy Mgmt Co. LLC (Latshaw 9) | Active | Cranberry Township | Venango |
16 | Kendra Disposal, LLC (Zelman 1) | Active | Brady Township | Clearfield |
View additional details about the 16 Class II Underground Injection Control disposal wells in DEP’s interactive Oil and Gas Mapping Tool. Click on “Conventional Wells” > “Waste Disposal” > and “Active” in the three Oil and Gas Well Layers on the left side of the screen. To view the attributes of each well, click the “Identify” tool (symbolized by the “i” in the black circle). Then click on the desired well.
48 Underground Natural Gas Storage Fields in Pennsylvania
Most natural gas is consumed as a fuel source to heat homes and businesses; therefore, the highest demand for natural gas peaks during the winter months. To meet this demand, natural gas that is produced during the summer months must be stored in underground storage fields for withdrawal and use during the winter heating season. Underground storage fields are depleted natural geologic formations that once contained oil, natural gas or other hydrocarbons; and are usually located 2,000 to 8,000 feet below the ground surface. There are currently 48 active underground gas storage fields in Pennsylvania. There are five additional underground gas storage fields that are not actively being used to store natural gas. Underground storage fields have been regulated in Pennsylvania since 1955 and the laws governing this practice were amended by the 1984 Oil and Gas Act; and again, by the 2012 Oil and Gas Act.
Approximately 350,000 Undocumented Orphan & Abandoned Wells in Pennsylvania
As a result of the oil and gas drilling booms during the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, thousands of oil and gas wells were drilled in Pennsylvania. Since the first oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania more than 160 years ago, many wells have been abandoned by their owners without notifying DEP or other state agencies. DEP estimates there are about 350,000 abandoned oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania that remain unaccounted for. These legacy orphan and abandoned wells can lead to pollution and/or pose public safety risks if not properly plugged.
To date, the Department has documented approximately 27,000 orphan and abandoned wells located on state or private land. The estimated cost to plug these wells is about $1.8 billion. Before 2022, there has been limited state funding to plug and remediate orphan and abandoned oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act created two special funds called the Abandoned Well Plugging Fund and the Orphan Well Plugging Fund. The Orphan and Abandoned Well Plugging Funds receive revenue from a nominal permit surcharge authorized by the 2012 Oil and Gas Act ($150 per oil well permit and $250 per gas well permit). 58 Pa.C.S. § 3271. These permit surcharges are grossly insufficient to cover the cost of properly plugging all orphan and abandoned wells that currently exist in Pennsylvania and they have been used primarily to pay for plugging orphan and abandoned wells in emergency situations where potential human health or environmental contamination is of concern.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
A watershed event occurred in late 2021 when President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), on November 15, 2021. The Act makes $4.7 billion available over the next decade for plugging orphaned oil and gas wells and remediating and restoring well sites on federal lands, tribal lands, state-owned lands, and privately owned lands. The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is the lead federal implementing agency and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (of which PA DEP is a member) represents and advocates for member states as this program has been implemented and rolled out.
Specifically, the entire $4.7 billion is allocated as follows:
- $4.275 billion for grants to states:
- $775 million for Initial Grants
- $2 billion for Formula Grants
- $1.5 billion for Performance Grants
- $250 million for activities on federal lands.
- $150 million for Tribal grants.
- $30 million to the Secretary of Energy to conduct research and development activities related to undocumented orphaned wells and for mitigating the environmental risks of undocumented orphaned wells.
- $2 million to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) to help carry out activities in the Act.
Initial Grant
On May 12, 2022, DEP submitted a grant application package to DOI to receive $25 million dollars via the Initial Grant portion of this funding. The $25 million threshold represents the maximum dollar amount that a state can apply for. On October 1, 2022, the Department was awarded the full $25 million to address the plugging of about 221 orphan and abandoned wells across Pennsylvania. The federal grant agreement allows DEP to use ten percent of this funding (i.e., $2.5 million) to reimburse the Department for administrative costs associated with implementing this new program.
DEP published 13 separate Invitations to Bid in the commonwealth’s electronic bid solicitation tool called “Bid Express” and has awarded and obligated the full Initial Grant funding. This approach allows for many small businesses across Pennsylvania to bid on these projects.
During 2023, DEP made significant progress in plugging many of these wells and is expected to plug all of the wells by December 31, 2024.
Formula Grant
On December 23, 2021, the Department submitted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to the DOI to apply for a Formula Grant. On January 31, 2022, the Department of Interior announced the amount of funding that states are eligible to apply for in Phase 1, which includes the $25 million Initial Grant funding and a quarter of the total Formula Grant money. These allocations were determined using the data provided by states as reflected in the NOIs and equally considered the following criteria: 1. job losses in each state from March 2020 through November 2021; 2. the number of documented orphaned oil and gas wells in each state; and 3. the estimated cost of cleaning up orphaned wells in each state.
The DOI announced that Pennsylvania is eligible to receive $76,406,474 in the first phase of the Formula Grant. When adding the amount of Formula Grant funding to the Initial Grant dollars, this results in a total of $330,625,896 that Pennsylvania is projected to receive. Pennsylvania will receive the second largest amount of Initial Grant and Formula Grant funding in the nation.
Eligible states were required to submit their applications by December 31, 2023 and DEP met this milestone by submitting its application for Phase 1 of the Formula Grant on December 18, 2023.
Between July 2022 and January 2023, the Pennsylvania General Assembly enacted Act 96 and Act 136 that requires 20 percent of all federal grant funding under IIJA and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to be allocated to an Orphan Well Plugging Grant Program. The Department must award grants to “qualified well pluggers” for the purpose of plugging abandoned wells.
Performance Grants
The final category of IIJA Funding is the Performance Grants and it is divided into two types of grants. First, is the Regulatory Improvement Grant that is comprised of two $20 million allocations for a total of $40 million. The Regulatory Improvement Grant will be awarded based on a state’s ability to demonstrate improvements in well plugging and financial assurance regulations over the past 10 years.
The second Performance Grant is a Matching Grant of up to $30 million over a maximum of 10 years that matches every dollar Pennsylvania spends annually in excess of average annual plugging expenditures from 2010-2019.
Given the history of limited funding that has been available to the Department to address orphan and abandoned wells in Pennsylvania, this federal program represents a rare opportunity for the infusion of federal dollars to help Pennsylvania plug a historic number of documented orphan and abandoned wells.
Inflation Reduction Act
Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP)
On August 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a Press Release announcing “the availability of up to $350 million [nationwide] in formula grant funding to help monitor and reduce methane emissions, one of the biggest drivers of climate change, from the oil and gas sector and for environmental restoration of well sites. The funding, provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, will also help oil and gas well owners and operators of eligible facilities, voluntarily and permanently reduce methane emissions from leaks and daily operations of low-producing conventional wells on non-federal lands.
Through the MERP, the EPA and DOE will help reduce inefficiencies of U.S. oil and gas operations, create new jobs in energy communities, and realize near-term emission reductions – helping reach the nation’s ambitious climate and clean air goals.”
Based on the federal MERP grant formula, Pennsylvania’s original allocation was to be $33,675,097. The original deadline for states to apply for this funding was to be September 30, 2023; however, the Department of Energy announced that the deadline was extended to October 10, 2023.
The Department submitted the MERP application ahead of the deadline on October 4 and on October 31, EPA informed Pennsylvania that it was eligible to receive $44,457,220 after re-allocation of available funding.
On December 15, 2023, Pennsylvania was informed that it was awarded $44,457,220 that is larger than awards to all states except Texas. The funds must be obligated by DEP over a 5-year period ending September 2028.
| Complement | 190 employees (Note: DEP is authorized to add up to 41 new positions to implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) |
|---|---|
| Organization | Central Office – Bureau of O&G Planning and Program Mgmt. - Harrisburg Eastern District Oil and Gas Office – Williamsport Northwest District Oil and Gas Office – Meadville Southwest District Oil and Gas Office – Pittsburgh |
| Funding | Fees, Fines/Penalties and Impact Fee Revenue |
| Oil & Gas Production | PA Natural Gas Production (unconventional): 7.5 trillion cubic feet PA Natural Gas Production (conventional wells): 80.2 billion cubic feet PA Oil Production (total): 916,219 barrels |
| Permits Issued | Unconventional Drilling Permit: 692 Stream Crossing & Encroachment (Individual Permits): 372* Erosion and Sediment Control General Permit (Expedited): 29* |
| Inspections | Unconventional Inspections: 23,394 Conventional Inspections: 16,252 Well Site/Administrative Inspections: 5,100 Total Inspections: 44,746 |
| Violations | Unconventional: 1,549 Conventional: 7,173 Well Site/Administrative: 1,479 Total Violations: 10,201 |
| Wells Drilled | Unconventional: 421 Unconventional (total on record): 14,324 # Active Permitted Class 2 Disposal Wells in PA: 16 # Orphan/Abandoned Wells in PA (estimated): 350,000 # Orphan/Abandoned Wells on DEP List (Identified): 26,944 # Orphan/Abandoned Wells on DEP List (Ranked): 8,963 # Orphan/Abandoned Wells Plugged: 3,513 |
†Unless otherwise specified, all information is reported for calendar year 2023.
*This includes “new” permits only. Does not include permit renewals, amendments, transfers, etc.
Permit application fees serve as the primary source of funding to pay for the operation of DEP’s oil and gas program. Over the past several years, the number of permits submitted to DEP has not resulted in enough permit fees to support the annual costs of administering the Department’s oil and gas program. Since DEP cannot predict the number of permit applications that will be received in future years, this fee structure is unpredictable and is not a viable mechanism to fund the oil and gas program. In 2024, DEP will work to develop an alternate approach to funding the DEP oil and gas program that is more predictable and sustainable.
In addition to identifying a long-term and stable source of funding to support the DEP Office of Oil and Gas Management, another priority will be to build, expand and implement effective programs to plug abandoned, orphan and marginal conventional oil and gas wells.
Pennsylvania received a $25 million Initial Grant and will receive $76,406,474 in the first phase of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Formula Grant (Phase 1 Formula Grant). Pennsylvania will receive a total of $305,625,896 over the remaining phases of the Formula Grant. Pennsylvania will receive an additional $44,457,220 from the Inflation Reduction Act to implement the Methane Emission Reduction Program (MERP).
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Implementation:
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allows grant monies to be used to not only plug orphan and abandoned wells but to also address other related activities such as identifying and characterizing undocumented wells, measuring and tracking emissions of methane and gases associated with orphan wells, measuring and tracking contamination of surface waters and groundwater affected by orphan wells, identifying and addressing impacts of orphan wells on Environmental Justice communities, and remediating soils and restoring native species impacted by orphan wells. The Department intends to use the Formula Grant to accomplish many of these purposes. The Office of Office of Oil and Gas Management will develop Request for Proposals (RFPs) in 2024 to solicit bids for these services.
In response to the passage of Act 96 and Act 136, DEP will allocate 20 percent of the IIJA Formula Grant funding to create an Orphan Well Plugging Grant Program. This grant will provide up to:
- $40,000 to a Qualified Well Plugger for every eligible well plugged that is an orphan well of a depth of 3,000 feet or less or the actual cost to plug the well, whichever is less.
- $70,000 to a Qualified Well Plugger for every eligible well plugged that is an orphan well of a depth greater than 3,000 feet or the actual cost to plug the well, whichever is less.
Methane Emission Reduction Program:
No later than February, 2024, DEP will submit a Community Benefits Plan and an amended budget to address the supplemental dollar amount that is reflected in the final grant award. DEP will provide a Program Management Plan (PMP) to DOE by March 2024, that describes how it will manage and administer activities to fulfill project objectives.
DEP will create a grant program in 2024 to fund the plugging of marginal conventional wells. A marginal conventional well is defined as a conventional vertical or slightly deviated oil and/or gas well with a known operator, producing less than or equal to 15 barrels of oil equivalent per day and/or 90 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) gas per day over the prior 12 month period. Most conventional wells, for which production data has been reported to DEP, meet the definition of a marginal conventional well.
More information about both grant programs mentioned above is available on the DEP Oil and Gas website.
In 2016, the General Assembly passed Act 52 which abrogated the ongoing rulemaking process regarding conventional wells and established the Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil Development Advisory Council (CDAC). Act 52 directed the Department to work with CDAC to “examine and make recommendations regarding existing technical regulations promulgated under 58 Pa.C.S. (relating to oil and gas) … that impact the conventional oil and gas industry of this Commonwealth and explore the development of a regulatory scheme that provides for environmental oversight and enforcement specifically applicable to the conventional oil and gas industry.”
Since 2016, the program has worked with CDAC and industry members to develop potential legislation and proposed regulations relating to conventional oil and gas wells. Specifically, proposed rulemaking concepts were discussed at several CDAC meetings throughout 2016, 2017 and 2018. In April 2018, program staff and CDAC members met and developed a scoping document outlining where agreement could be reached on potential legislative or regulatory language. In 2018 and 2019, program efforts on this issue centered more directly on legislative language; however, legislation was not enacted so the Department re-started the rulemaking process that began in 2016. DEP is proceeding with the development of a proposed conventional oil and gas rulemaking that consists of two concise packages that are being advanced in parallel.
These two packages propose to amend the Oil and Gas regulations applicable to conventional operators (Chapter 78) to update the environmental protection performance standards related to oil and gas activities (i.e., environmental protection and waste management). The purpose of these regulations is to update the performance standards for surface activities at conventional well sites to ensure that these activities are conducted in a manner that protects the health, safety, and environment and property of Pennsylvania citizens consistent with the environmental laws that provide authority for these rulemakings and the Pennsylvania Constitution.
In early 2023, DEP submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stating its interest in participating in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI (Carbon Sequestration) Grant Program. On November 2, 2023, the EPA announced the launch of the grant program. The $48,250,000 in available funds will be allocated evenly among the 25 states and Tribes that submitted LOIs, with an allotment of at least $1,930,000 for each program. Each state or Tribe may apply for grant funding for project periods of up to five years. There is no non-federal cost share requirement. DEP will begin preparing an application in early 2024 for submittal to the EPA.
Disclaimer: If problems are encountered while viewing content, please open the website using another web browser. The information contained in this report is based on the data contained in DEP information systems at the time of preparation of this report, including, but not limited to, DEP's enterprise-wide permitting and compliance database called eFACTS (Environment Facility Application Compliance Tracking System). As some data contained in these systems are self-reported by operators and other permitees, data in this report reflects the information and data as reported to DEP and there is no guarantee as to the accuracy of the data. The eFACTS permitting and compliance database is a dynamic database that is regularly and continuously updated by DEP.
