Noble Energy Marshall County Flowback Spill Provokes Cease
Operation Order
The State Journal
8 March 2013
The Department of Environmental Protection announced March 8 that
its Office of Oil and Gas has issued seven notices of violation and
two orders to Noble Energy for its February spill of hydraulic
fracturing flowback in Marshall County.
A centralized storage impoundment operated by Canonsburg, Pa.-based
Noble Energy overflowed Feb. 22 into a tributary of Wheeling Creek,
near Dallas, W.Va.
The notices of violation included allowing pollutants to flow into
waters of the state; violating monitoring and emergency action
plans; failure to maintain the pit in such a manner as to minimize
adverse environmental effects; failing to maintain two feet of
freeboard to minimize the risk of overtopping; and violating the
state's water quality standards by discharging pollutants into a
nearby stream and allowing industrial waste emanating from a point
source to flow into waters of the state.
As a result of these violations, the Office of Oil and Gas also
filed an order to cease operations to gain control of the pit; and
an order that outlines the actions the company needs to take to
abate the violations.
Noble is to provide an analysis of the released completion flowback
fluid from the incident.
It also is required to propose a soil sampling and remediation plan
to remove and dispose of any contaminated soil; propose a surface
water sampling plan and plans for containment and removal of any
pollutants found; identify water wells within 2,000 feet and submit
a proposal to test the wells; and conduct an engineering evaluation
of the centralized pit, then provide the agency with a certification
by a professional engineer that states that the event did not impact
the structural integrity of the centralized pit.