HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) — Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane has announced that her office has reached an agreement with XTO Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Exxon Mobile Corp., after allegations the company illegally discharged toxic waste from a Marcellus shale gas site.
Between Nov. 12-16, 2010, the company allegedly conducted a wastewater transaction, transporting material to be stored at the Marquardt site. Thousands of gallons of wastewater went unaccounted for and purportedly ended up flowing into and polluting a nearby tributary.
"This settlement will result in additional oversight over a company that was allegedly responsible for discharging thousands of gallons of fracking wastewater into the environment," Kane said. "This is an important step toward accountability, and we will continue to pursue prosecutions against companies and individuals who pollute the environment."
XTO will pay a $300,000 civil penalty and pay $100,000 to the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership for advancing environmental projects in the county. Additionally, the company will need to enter an accelerated rehabilitative disposition program. In this program, the company will have to comply with regulatory standards exceeding current industry practices.