Municipalities in Pennsylvania aggressively pursuing public funds for water infrastructure upgrades, citing gas industry's alleged contamination of wells as primary concern.

Contaminated Water Crisis in Freeport and Springhill Townships: A Call for Action

Residents of Freeport and Springhill townships in Pennsylvania's Greene County are facing a water crisis, as their private wells have been contaminated, leading to a "disaster emergency" declaration. The contamination, which has been affecting around 200 residents since June 2022, was confirmed by Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in February 2023, making the water unfit for human consumption.

The DEP is currently investigating the issue, with recent complaints focusing on the township's water source for non-drinking purposes. Sarah Martik, the executive director of the Center for Coalfield Justice, has expressed concern about additional contamination and has been pressing EQT, a gas company suspected in connection with the water problems, to pay for restoring the water supplies they contend the company contaminated.

The Center for Coalfield Justice has provided drinking water for some affected residents and has been advocating for a public funding solution. The cost estimate for the public water system in the Freeport-Springhill area is between $21 and $25 million. Some state lawmakers, including Rep. Bud Cook, are pledging to help find public funding to fix the water problems. Rep. Cook has urged Freeport officials to approach PennVest, a financing authority that offers low-cost loans for municipal infrastructure projects.

In June 2022, EQT experienced a "frac-out" while horizontally drilling a nearby well, which could potentially be linked to the water contamination in Freeport. Martik has stated that there is a pathway for fracking fluids to be engaging in the aquifer. However, it's important to note that the disaster declaration does not explicitly blame EQT for the contamination, but leaves open the possibility of their involvement.

Residents have reported various health and environmental issues related to the contaminated water, such as rashes, dead tomato plants, and dogs refusing to drink the water. A class-action lawsuit by affected Freeport residents accusing EQT of contaminating water and exposing residents to harmful chemicals was filed in June 2024.

Despite numerous requests, EQT and the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a trade group for the gas industry, did not respond to comments regarding the water problems in Freeport Township. The office of U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler also did not respond to questions about whether he supports finding federal dollars to help pay for public water in the townships.

As the investigation continues, the community of Freeport and Springhill townships awaits a resolution to their water crisis, hoping for a swift and effective solution to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its residents.