Williamsport, PA, hugs the banks of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Lycoming County. (Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
The Pennsylvania Department of the Environment (DOE) issued two civil penalties against Eureka Resources for violations at its wastewater treatment facilities in Lycoming and Bradford counties on March 3.
Eureka Resources treats wastewater from oil wells and natural gas fracking wells.
The company discharged 16,000 gallons of oil and gas liquid waste from one of its storage tanks at its facility in Williamsport, PA, on Aug. 17. Some of the liquid leaked into the stormwater system, which empties into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. DOE found the leak was due to a corroded fitting and fined Eureka $60,000 for the incident.
The company also had stored 1.3 million gallons of oil and gas liquid waste for 13 months at the Williamsport facility without permission from the state.
The department fined the company another $40,000 for leaking tanks and failure to complete required repairs at a facility on the main branch of the Susquehanna in Bradford County.
The state had ordered Eureka Resources to remove more unauthorized waste stored at a second facility in Williamsport. The company complied without the DOE needing to issue a third penalty.
The state told the company last fall to remove the waste and make repairs at its facilities, but it took until March for Eureka to begin that process. The company is still cleaning up the oil waste spill.