The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Wednesday a subsidiary of Talisman Energy Inc. will pay more than $62,000 in fines to settle charges that the company violated hazardous chemical reporting requirements for the past three years at 52 natural gas drilling sites in Pennsylvania.

Talisman Energy USA Inc. has agreed to pay $62,457 for allegedly violating the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), which requires companies that store specific amounts of hazardous chemicals to submit material safety data sheets (MSDS) with local and state emergency response agencies, including local fire departments.

“Compliance with these requirements is important for the health and safety of facility occupants and first responders in the event of discharge or accidental exposure to hazardous chemicals,” the EPA said. “The required information also provides valuable information to emergency planners.”

Talisman discovered the violations and self-disclosed them to the EPA, a fact that the agency said had an effect on the eventual fine. “The settlement reflects Talisman’s good faith cooperation with EPA and its compliance efforts in self-disclosing and swiftly correcting the violations,” the EPA said. “As part of the settlement, the company neither admitted nor denied the alleged violations.”

Calgary-based Talisman said in May it would curtail spending on dry gas production in the Marcellus and Montney shales, and would focus instead on its liquids-rich assets in the Eagle Ford (see Shale Daily, May 2).