PITTSBURGH, July 14 (UPI) -- Pennsylvania has fined two companies it blames for a gas well "blowout" that released 35,000 gallons of contaminated fluids into the air, officials said.
The state has levied fines totaling $400,000 against EOG Resources of Canonsburg, Pa., and C.C. Forbes Co. of Washington, Pa., the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Wednesday.
The blowout of the natural gas well in June in Clearfield County sent contaminated "fracking fluid," hydraulic fluid used to fracture rock strata to help release natural gas, into the atmosphere for 16 hours, the newspaper said.
Natural gas and brine were also spewed into the air for hours, officials said.
In addition to the fines, state Environmental Secretary John Hanger issued a lengthy order to all natural gas drilling firms doing business in the state demanding they ensure their drilling practices are safe or risk losing lucrative drilling licenses.
Hanger singled out EOG, once called Enron Oil & Gas Co., based in Houston, for most of blame in the June 3-4 blowout and warned of the consequences of any future incidents.
"If EOG violates this order, we are headed to terminate their privilege to do business in Pennsylvania," he said.
