Pa. company to pay for drinking water violations

PHILADELPHIA (Legal Newsline) - EXCO Resources of Warrendale, Pa. will pay a penalty for safe drinking water act violations in Clearfield County, Pa.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the fine Thursday. The alleged violations occurred at the company's brine disposal well located at Brady Field in Bell Township.

EXCO will pay a civil penalty of $159,624 and comply with the conditions of its underground injection control permit. The company must also alter the well to comply with an EPA-approved plan of federal mechanical integrity standards for brine disposal wells. This will require multiple levels of protection to prevent contamination of underground sources of drinking water.

The disposal well failed mechanical integrity sometime in early April 2011. The company failed to notify the EPA in a timely manner as required by law, and continued to inject brine into the well through August, the EPA says.

The agreement resolved violations of federal Underground Injection Control regulations issued under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The order was finalized on March 30, following a 40-day public comment period.

EXCO has begun reworking the well following approval of the plan by EPA. EPA technical staff has been actively working with the company to address the violations, and to ensure that the company is taking proper measures to rework the well.