An Oklahoma-based natural gas producer that was fined $1.9 million in 2021 for damaging wetlands and streams at 76 drilling sites in Pennsylvania has had more than a dozen of those sites added to a list of projects that have been ordered fast-tracked by the Trump administration to address what he calls the nation’s “energy emergency.”
In addition to the fine, Chesapeake Energy, now Expand Energy, was required to restore 55 acres of wetlands and nearly 4,500 linear feet of streams. Wetlands are considered environmentally critical, sometimes referred to as “earth’s kidneys,” because they improve water quality and filter pollutants; they also help reduce erosion and prevent flooding. Chesapeake has a history dating back to 2013 of improperly filling in wetlands by discharging drilling fluids, sand, dirt and rocks.
