After nearly five years of incorrectly reporting water withdrawal rates, Range Resources will pay a $1.75 million settlement to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
All oil and gas companies are required to report the amount of water they use to the DEP, and it must be within a specified amount. During July 2009 until February 2014 Range was misreporting its numbers saying the company was not using as much as it was, and at times not reporting to the DEP at all.
Range approached the DEP with its mistakes and has since worked to fix them.
“It’s sloppy, and it’s a case where they were not necessarily paying attention to the details. I think that in sitting down and discussing this they agreed and they have since brought their procedures into compliance,” said John Poister spokesman for DEP.
$800,000 of the fine will be paid to the DEP and the remainder will fund an environmental project.
“[Range] suggested that one part of the penalty might be used for an environmental project … and we agreed and the project that was chosen was the rehabilitation and expansion of a mine drainage treatment facility in Findlay Township, Allegheny County, and that project is now being worked on,” said Poister.
Poister said the project is in the planning stages, but it will be finished by the end of the year. The money designated towards the project will fund the facility for the next 10 years improving the water quality in the Raccoon Creek Watershed.
The DEP is currently investigating its own procedures for checking oil and gas reports.
