PA DEP fines a municipal waste treatment authority for drilling pollution (Say, what?)

A new weird story from PA:

PA DEP fines a municipal waste treatment authority
for high discharges (toxic effluent, river pollution)
caused by gas drilling.

Remember:
The PA DEP issues the permits to the drillers
and (in theory) carries enforcement powers.

I was given this by a trusted source,
but asked that certain specific details
not be given just yet.

I can tell you this much:

Yesterday, 6/28/13, a municipal sewer
authority in NE PA was fined, or threatened
with a fine, for discharging contaminated effluent

into the river by PA - DEP.

The irony is, the source of the contamination
is likely caused by gas drilling and related activity.

What you have to understand is
the source of the contamination

was (at least partially) due to
high contaminate levels in private
water wells coincident with gas drilling,
and pipeline construction.

This contaminated well water entered the sewer plant

through the municipal waste pipes from private homes.

At the time of the contamination spikes at the sewer
plant, gas drilling was active at several sites,
and a pipeline was directionally drilled under the river.
People reported their well water turned black.

There has also been a report of a 3,000 gal vacuum truck

discharging unknown waste into the river via a storm
sewer drain.

The PA DEP issues the permits to the drillers,

and also (in theory) has the power of enforcement actions.

Yet, rather than fining the gas operator, or the pipeline
company, they fine a municipal wastewater treatment
authority for the pollution which drilling causes!

The threatened fine is $140,000.

Evolving story...  stay tuned.

--
--
May you, and all beings
be happy and free from suffering :)
-- ancient Buddhist Prayer (Metta)