The U.S. Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency have reached a settlement with XTO Energy for Clean Air Act violations that occurred in Butler County.
XTO will pay a $4 million civil penalty for failing to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control methane emissions from 11 oil and gas production facilities in Butler County during 2018 and 2019.
The company will also undertake compliance measures to mitigate the harm caused by their emissions. This project requires XTO to work with the PA Department of Environmental Protection to identify the heaviest polluting wells in Western PA and spend at least $1.4 million to plug them by the end of 2027.
The fine will be split equally between the federal and state governments. XTO is a wholly owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil.