3: Three Cabot Consent Agreements

On THREE occasions, Cabot's top executives signed Consent Agreements with PA DEP admitting to polluting several private water wells. 

• 11/4/2009 http://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/natural_gas/final_cabot_co-a.pdf
  
  EXCERPT: Ten of the Affected Water Supplies are less than 1,000 feet from one or more of the Cabot Wells. These 10 Affected Water Supplies have elevated levels of dissolved methane, and/or the presence of combustible gas in the drinking water wells.
  
  The presence of dissolved methane and/or combustible gas in the 10 Affected
  Water Supplies occurred within six months of completion of drilling of one or more of the Cabot Wells. As such, Cabot is presumed to be responsible for the pollution to these 10 Affected Water Supplies, pursuant to Section 208(c) ofthe Oil and Gas Act, 58 P.S. §601.208(c).
  
  Three of the Affected Water Supplies are within 1,300 feet of one or more of
  the Cabot Wells. Based upon the presence of elevated methane in the water supplies; the presence of combustible gas in water well headspaces, the close proximity of these three Affected Water Supplies to the Cabot Wells, the close proximity of these three Affected Water Supplies to the other  10 Affected Water Supplies, and other factors, the Department has determined that Cabot is also responsible for the pollution to these three Affected Water Supplies. A chart identifying the distances of all of the Affected Water Supplies from the Cabot Wells is attached as Exhibit D and incorporated herein.
  
•  4/15/2010 http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1688/pennsylvanias-dep-orders-cabot-to-plug-three-gas-wells.pdf
  
  
  EXCERPT: Cabot did not comply with all of its obligations under the 2009 Agreement. As discussed further below, Cabot did not comply with the requirements of Paragraph 4.i.2) of the 2009 Agreement, as it failed to identify in its "Integrity Report" all of the Cabot Wells that had insufficient/improper casing and/or cementing, and it failed to identify the specific corrective actions needed to address the Gesford 3 and Gesford 9 Wells which the Department had already determined to have insufficient/improper casing and/or cementing as documented in Paragraph I in the 2009 Agreement.
  
  As also discussed further below, Cabot did not comply with the requirements of Paragraph 4.1. of the 2009 Agreement, as it failed, by March 31, 2010, to complete any and all actions to prevent the unpermitted discharge of natural gas from the Cabot Wells or any other well owned and/or operated by Cabot within the Affected Area and into the waters of the Commonwealth.
  ...
  On January 10, 2009, the Department collected samples from a well that provides
  drinking water to the residence owned by Ray Kemble and located within the Affected Area
  ("Kemble Water Supply"). The samples taken on January 10,2009, contained dissolved methane gas at a concentration of .015 mg/I.
  
  On January 28,2010, the Department again collected samples from the Kemble Water
  Supply, and those samples contained dissolved methane gas at a concentration of23.6 mg/I.
  
  On March 8, 2010, the Department notified Cabot about the elevated concentration of
  dissolved methane gas in the Kemble Water Supply.
  
  The Department has determined that, based on the elevated concentration of dissolved methane gas in the Kemble Water Supply, the close proximity of the Kemble Water Supply to the Cabot Wells, the close proximity of the Kemble Water Supply to the Affected Water Supplies as identified in the 2009 Agreement, and other factors, Cabot is also responsible for the pollution to the Kemble Water Supply.
  
  The Kemble Water Supply is hereby added to the Affected Water Supplies identified in the 2009 Agreement.
  
  
• 12/15/2010 https://archive.org/details/CabotPADEPagreement
  
  EXCERPT:  The Department has determined that eighteen (18) drinking water supplies that serve nineteen (19) homes within the Dimock/Carter Road Area have been affected from the drilling activities at the Dimock/Carter Road Gas Wells (collectively the "Water Supplies"). The owners of the nineteen (19) homes that are served by the Water Supplies are identified on Exhibit C and incorporated herein (collectively the "Property Owners").
  
  As of the date of this Consent Order and Settlement Agreement, Cabot has undertaken, among other things, the following actions:
  
  1 . Plugged and abandoned three of the Dimock/Carter Road Gas Wells ~ Baker 1, Gesford 3, and Gesford 9. To date, Cabot has not yet completed the restoration of the Gesford 3 and Gesford 9 Gas Well Sites;
  
  2. Reconditioned the Ely 4 Gas Well by squeezing the annular space, thereby eliminating the pressure that was present in a portion of the annular space between the 41/2 and 7 inch casings on the Gas Well, and conducted similar remedial actions at the Ratzel 2H Gas Well after September 14, 2010;
  
  3. Prepared and implemented a plan to check the integrity of the Dimock/Carter Road Gas Wells;
  
  4. Provided temporary, whole house water supplies to owners of residences within the Dimock/Carter Road Area, including to the Property Owners;
  
  5. Provided new vent stacks or extended existing vent stacks on Water Supplies; and
  
  6. Paid $570,000 to the Department in settlement of civil and monthly stipulated penalties.
  
  The Department has determined that Cabot has not: (1) permanently restored and/or replaced all of the Water Supplies by September 17, 2010; (2) completely eliminated the unpermitted discharge of natural gas into the waters of the Commonwealth from the Dimock/Carter Road Gas Wells by November 1, 2010; and (3) plugged or taken other remedial actions at certain of the Dimock/Carter Road Gas Wells by November 13, 2010.  

There is lots of interesting information in these consent agreements.

Download them and read them!