River

Michael Guesman, an employee of Hardrock Excavating LLC, admitted Thursday that he dumped oilfield waste into a storm drain that empties into the Mahoning River near Youngstown, OH, a violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) that prompted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to permanently revoke the operating permits for Hardrock and a second company also alleged to have violated the CWA.

Vinita, OK-basedGrand River Dam Authority(GRDA) on Wednesday voted to proceed with plans to develop a 400 MW combined cycle natural gas-fired generation facility adjacent to its Coal Fired Complex in Chouteau, OK. An electric generation resource plan approved by the GRDA board would allow for an increase in both GRDA’s gas and wind generation capacity, to eventually replace the output from Unit 1 at the Coal Fired Complex, which has been in operation since 1982. About 45% of GRDA’s total generation capacity comes from two coal units at the complex; the addition of the approved gas and wind generation would drive that figure down to about 17%. Gas generation will increase to 45% of total capacity from the current 25%, GRDA said.

Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Chairman Michele Sierkerka said the organization is working to advance natural gas regulations in the basin, with “thousands of hours” logged so far by its staff and those of its member states on the process since November 2011.

A coalition of landowners in Wayne County, PA, is threatening to file a lawsuit against the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) over a continuing delay in either enacting natural gas regulations in the basin or deferring regulation to its four member states.

A coalition of landowners in Wayne County, PA, is threatening to file a lawsuit against the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) over a continuing delay in either enacting natural gas regulations in the basin or deferring regulation to its four member states (see related story).

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is urging the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to proceed with a proposal to revise water quality regulations, a move that could ultimately open the basin to expanded Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has ordered Harch Environmental Resources Inc., a brine waste hauler, to cease operations in the state after finding evidence that the company illegally dumped oilfield waste at a farm in Belmont County. Regulators also took aim at Gulfport Energy Corp., which had contracted with the hauler.

Warren Resources Inc. plans to drill 25 new coalbed methane (CBM) wells in the Spyglass Hill Unit in Wyoming’s Washakie Basin, a sub-basin of the Greater Green River Basin, the New York City-based exploration and production company said.

In addition to briefing state lawmakers Wednesday on the governor’s newly released energy policy, an adviser to Gov. Matt Mead offered a joint state legislative committee a glimpse at the governor’s proposed baseline water testing rule that would apply to oil and natural gas drillers.