An unrelated Marcellus shale gas wells site in northern Pennsylvania

US oil exploration company Coterra Energy has pleaded “no contest” to water contamination in Dimock, Pennsylvania, US. The company will now face fines of $16.29m to build a new water supply system, the state attorney general said on Tuesday.

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General filed charges against Coterra Energy in 2020 following a grand jury inquiry into contaminated well water in Dimock, Susquehanna County. 

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

This examination indicated that the company’s operations related to drilling and producing unconventional gas wells caused methane pollution in the local water supply.

Several residents testified during the investigation. They told the inquiry that water in the area was so polluted that, in some cases, it caught fire. Metal contaminants and excessive methane caused residents to stop drinking water.

When one resident called the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, they were promised to cleanse the water again in several years. At the time of their appearance before the grand jury a decade later, the problem remained unresolved.

See Also:

Attorney General Josh Shapiro said: “Residents of Dimock have waited far too long for the clean water Pennsylvania’s constitution is supposed to guarantee all of us. Today, Coterra, the corporate successor of Cabot Oil and Gas, took full responsibility for the crimes Cabot committed that polluted residents’ water.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Coterra pleaded guilty to breaching the ‘Clean Streams Law’ by discharging industrial waste. As part of the plea agreement, the company will pay $16.29m towards a new regulated public water line and 75 years of water bills for the impacted homeowners. The government will also use this money to provide purification systems for water sources and bottled water while the public water line remains under construction.