In addition to paying a fine and taking corrective actions at the well sites, Catalyst faces restrictions on drilling, hydraulically fracturing or developing new or existing well sites.
Catalyst’s drilling activities in an area of Hickory Township, Forest County, contaminated 14 water supplies.
The penalty also settles violations resulting from spills and leaks of oil and fluids at well sites in Forest, Warren and McKean counties.
DEP Northwest Regional Director Kelly Burch said Catalyst has paid the penalty and is working under a negotiated timetable to rectify these violations.
"The company must also demonstrate it is in total compliance before drilling or completing more wells," Burch said.
Catalyst installed water treatment systems and conducted cleanouts of some of the wells, restoring the water supplies, and returned other water supplies to pre-drill conditions through other work on the company’s wells.
Catalyst’s actions in these cases constitute violations of the Clean Streams Law, the Oil and Gas Act and the Solid Waste Management Act.
