Energy Corporation of America (ECA), which has promised to “bring the Bakken to the Beartooths,” has 70 more violations in West Virginia, according to a search of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection website. This is in addition to the 66 inspections with violations, 90 separate violations, and 55 enforcement actions that we recently found in a search of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection website.

The West Virginia data is harder for a layman to interpret, and I’m convinced that there is more that would be revealed with a more sophisticated search. You can look at a section of the report at the bottom of this post.

The Pennsylvania data was more clear, and here is a more detailed listing of violations there than we have provided before:

• Pit Failures – impoundment not structurally sound; failure to maintain 2 feet of freeboard; improperly lined pit; tears and rips in synthetic liner.
• Methane Migration from Failed Seal – failure of cemented casing releasing gas upwards.
• Unpermitted Discharges to Surface Water – discharge of pollution material to waters; discharges of industrial wastes to the ground; artesian flow of fluids from a well; discharges of muddy water into streams.
• Improper Waste Management – failure to properly store, transport, process, or dispose of residual waste; failure to adopt pollution prevention measures; residual waste mismanaged; oily substances found on ground.
• Stream Crossings without a Permit – no stream crossing permits obtained.
• Erosional Control Deficiencies – failure to minimize accelerated erosion; failure to implement E&S plan; failure to stabilize site; failure to maintain E&S controls; failure to design, implement, and maintain BMPs.
• Operational Deficiencies – excessive casing seat pressures; failure to plug a well; drilling within 100 feet of surface water or wetland; failure to notify the Department of pollution incident; failure to submit well records; failure to submit well completion reports.
• Failure to Properly Close Sites – failure to restore site within 9 months; failure to plug a well; failure to remove pits after completion of drilling.

The re-hearing of the Belfry permit of the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation is in Billings tonight. If that body decides to represent the people of Montana instead of the corporations of Colorado, the permit will be denied. We don’t need them ruining Montana the way they have Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

A section of the West Virginia report is below. You can replicate it yourself by going to the website.

A section of the West Virginia report