Deadline Passes On Stream Filling
Gas drilling company could be fined $200,000 per day
Wheeling WV Intelligencer
By Casey Junkins
NEW MARTINSVILLE - From increasing visits to well sites to allowing
third party reviews of planned soil disturbances, officials with
Chesapeake Energy said they are determined to prevent any more
allegedly unauthorized stream fillings.
Wednesday marked the day by which U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
officials said Chesapeake needed to supply restoration and remediation
plans for the work in Wetzel and Marshall counties. In November, EPA
officials issued four separate "Order for Compliance," citing the
driller for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act from January 2007
until November.
EPA spokeswoman Donna Heron previously said Chesapeake had received
permission to wait until Wednesday to provide plans on how to address
the problems. However, she could not confirm this week whether the
company had met its deadline.
"I've been told by our attorneys that there is nothing further we can
say. This is an enforcement action, which is a confidential process,"
Heron said.
According to the orders, EPA has the ability to fine Chesapeake as much
as $200,000 per day for the work, which included the alleged removal of
a waterfall to create a gravel road in the stream channel of Blake
Fork, about 2.4 miles north of the intersection of W.Va. 89, near
Proctor.
Blake Fork and three other streams affected by Chesapeake's drilling
activities are tributaries of Fish Creek, which flows into the Ohio
River.
Each of the four orders notes at the end that fines of up to $50,000
per day may be imposed if Chesapeake does not follow the instructions,
hence the possibility of $200,000 in fines each day. The compliance
orders compel Chesapeake to remove the fill and restore the streams and
wetlands "to pre-disturbance conditions," and "requires mitigation for
the environmental harm which was caused by the unlawful discharge to
waters of the United States."
Information provided by Chesapeake's director of corporate development,
Stacey Brodak, notes the company continues to work "closely with the
United States EPA on isolated issues concerning earth moving activity
near natural gas drilling operations in Wetzel County and Marshall
County."
"Chesapeake Appalachia LLC is committed to the responsible development
of our clean-burning, domestic natural gas resources and environmental
stewardship," she added.
URL for article, to see filled-in stream:
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/550578/Deadline-Passes-On-Stream-Filling.html?nav=515