July 9, 2024
Contact Information: R3Press@epa.gov
PHILADELPHIA -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Atlantic Region (EPA) has reached a settlement with Cunningham Energy, LLC (Cunningham) and its parent, Houston Natural Resources Corp (HNRC), resolving alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the West Virginia State Implementation Plan associated with two Cunningham oil and gas well pads located at Shelton Road in Bomont, West Virginia. The consent agreement and final order requires Cunningham and HNRC to pay a $742,737 penalty for these violations plus accrued interest, for a total of $764,274.
According to the agreement (Docket No. CAA-03-2024-0119) filed on June 28, 2024, Cunningham failed to comply with permitting requirements and to properly control, monitor, and report emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) at its Bomont facilities. Releases of these compounds contribute to smog and ground level ozone. Ozone in the air can harm human health, especially on hot sunny days when ozone can reach unhealthy levels. Elevated exposures to ozone can affect sensitive vegetation and ecosystems, including forests, parks, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas.
In May 2023, EPA separately issued an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) addressing the same violations underpinning this penalty settlement. This actionand the previous AOC support EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative for Mitigating Climate Change. VOC emissions indirectly contribute to climate change by increasing the concentration of ozone, which is a strong greenhouse gas.
For more information about EPA’s enforcement program, visit EPA’s enforcement website.
EPA in West Virginia
The EPA has a new ArcGIS Story Map that explores the infrastructure, community, and revitalization work in West Virginia. This easy-to-use tool shows where some of the $500 million the EPA has invested in West Virginia is being used, what communities and environmental resources are benefiting from infrastructure projects, and how the public and stakeholders can learn more about current EPA activities in the state. Learn more about how the EPA works in West Virginia by visiting our new public Story Map here!