Seneca waives preliminary hearings in environmental criminal cases
Seneca Resources LLC has waived preliminary hearings in three criminal cases filed in Cameron County, allowing the matters to proceed directly to the Court of Common Pleas.
Court records available through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System show the preliminary hearings were waived Feb. 23 in the cases beginning with docket number CP-12-CR-0000020-2026. The cases are now listed as awaiting formal arraignment in Cameron County Court.
One of the cases involves an incident in Shippen Township where Seneca allegedly flushed a hillside above the residence of John and Paige Rosenberger without receiving prior approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Investigators claim the flushing occurred following a fracking wastewater spill and may have pushed contaminants further into the soil and groundwater.
The charges stem from a broader investigation conducted by statewide investigating grand juries that examined Seneca’s handling of drilling wastewater and other waste-management practices across northern Pennsylvania.
According to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, three criminal complaints were filed against Seneca Resources in October 2025 based on those grand jury findings. Prosecutors allege the company violated state environmental laws through improper waste disposal practices and pollution incidents in several counties, including Cameron County.
One of the central allegations involves a July 3, 2022 rupture of an above-ground pipeline at Seneca’s B09-I well pad in Shippen Township, which released large volumes of produced water that flowed down a hillside and reached nearby private wells. Residents reported their drinking water became cloudy, salty, and unusable following the spill.
Investigators also allege Seneca later attempted to flush contaminated soil with fresh water as part of cleanup efforts before receiving approval from DEP. Officials testified that the agency had directed the company not to proceed with that method until additional investigation could be conducted, but the flushing was already underway.
Across the three criminal complaints, Seneca faces approximately 100 charges, including misdemeanor violations of the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act and felony counts under the Clean Streams Law.
With the preliminary hearings waived, the cases will now move forward in Cameron County Court of Common Pleas. A formal arraignment was scheduled for March 17 at 9 a.m., after this edition of the Cameron County Echo went to press.
