Environmental groups submitted rulemaking petitions to the Environmental Quality Board asking the Board to adopt regulation changes requiring full-cost bonding to cover the costs of plugging conventional and unconventional oil and gas wells.
The oil and gas wells in the lower 48 states that are eligible for restoration cover more than 2 million acres—an area larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined.
House Republicans on Wednesday passed Senate Bill 790 that would significantly reduce requirements for protecting the environment from conventional oil and gas drilling.
The Department of Environmental Protection announced it has executed a Consent Order and Agreement with Equitrans Midstream Corporation for violations regarding the operator's Swarts gas storage reservoir.
