The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is investigating a potential methane migration problem in Union Township, Pennsylvania in Tioga County. A Shell spokeswoman says
the company’s tests show “a very low hazard risk to people,
vegetation and fish in the immediate area,” but Shell has
nevertheless asked the handful of people who live within a one-mile
radius of the drilling site to temporarily evacuate their homes. Shell has also sent a well control specialist team to the site.
DEP spokesman Daniel Spadoni confirmed the probe in an email to
StateImpact Pennsylvania. “DEP was notified of the problem by
Shell on June 17,” he writes. “Shell is fully cooperating with the
response and investigation.” According to Spadoni, a drinking water
well located 4,000 feet from a Shell drilling site began overflowing
this weekend. “Shell has several well pads in the area in various
stages of completion. They stopped all operations in the area when
notified of a problem,” he wrote, noting “bubbling was also noted at
multiple locations in a nearby stream.”