HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that Equitrans, LP, is facing criminal charges for its role in a major natural gas leak in 2022 that released methane across several states and caused widespread environmental damage in Cambria County and beyond.
The energy company, which owns and operates the Rager Mountain Storage Field, has been charged with 14 counts, including unlawful conduct and violations of both the Clean Streams Law and the Air Pollution Control Act. The charges stem from a grand jury investigation into a gas well failure that allowed methane to escape into the atmosphere for 14 consecutive days, resulting in contamination of air, soil, groundwater, and vegetation.
According to findings presented by the 51st Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, Equitrans failed to implement adequate maintenance and corrosion monitoring protocols at its Cambria County facility. This negligence allegedly led to the deterioration of the well casing and its subsequent rupture—an incident that triggered a gas leak spanning southern Pennsylvania and parts of Maryland, Delaware, and the Atlantic coastline.
“This company’s failures to properly maintain this well went beyond negligence — the conduct alleged here demonstrates a reckless disregard for neighboring communities who were potentially exposed to unsafe air and water,” said Attorney General Sunday. “Energy producers have a legal responsibility to protect the public from such exposures. I am committed to protecting our constitutional right to clean air and pure water by prosecuting these flagrant violations.”
Efforts to seal the ruptured well proved difficult. Equitrans brought in a specialist team to perform multiple high-pressure saltwater injections to suppress the methane flow. However, these emergency measures caused significant environmental harm. State prosecutors allege that large volumes of salt water contaminated the surrounding ecosystem, affecting local groundwater supplies and plant life.
The scope of the environmental impact, as well as the cross-state reach of the methane plume, prompted significant concern from state regulators and environmental watchdogs. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, poses risks not only to air quality but also to climate health, making the incident particularly alarming for advocates of stricter oversight in the energy sector.
Equitrans is also facing additional charges in Greene County, based on separate findings by the same grand jury. Those charges have yet to be formally announced.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Shane T. Crevar. Officials emphasized that the charges are allegations and that Equitrans, like all defendants, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The prosecution marks a significant escalation in Pennsylvania’s approach to environmental enforcement, reflecting growing public and governmental pressure to hold energy companies accountable for infrastructure failures that compromise environmental safety and public health.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.