Overview
- An ECMC consent agreement sets a $1.7 million fine with a 10% settlement discount, requiring Chevron’s Noble Energy to pay $1.53 million.
- Noble was accused of six rule violations and agreed to settle after initially disputing some allegations, with the commission set to consider approval at a public hearing on March 18.
- Chevron’s report attributes the incident to human error during a production-tree changeover that released a tube hanger barrier and led to loss of well control.
- The April 2025 blowout lasted four days, spread contaminants across a 1.5‑mile radius, and prompted evacuations and a closure of Galeton Elementary School.
- Cleanup overseen by Chevron spans 317 parcels with only six cleared to date, more than 21 million gallons of liquid waste and 79,000 cubic yards of soil removed, and additional investigations by Natural Resource Damages Trustees and OSHA ongoing.