* Says Chesapeake failed to implement required erosion, sediment controls
* Says Chesapeake must correct existing violations by March 29 (Adds details)
March 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Environmental Protection has ordered Chesapeake Energy to stop work on a natural gas drilling well pad in Pennsylvania for failure to comply with regulations and contaminating a water source.
The well pad, which was in the site-preparation phase, failed to implement the required erosion and sediment controls resulting in sediment and silt being discharged into a stream.
The site-preparation phase is a process that occurs before well construction or drilling activities take place.
The Galeton Borough Water Authority serves a population of about 1,400 through about 600 metered connections. The authority has been now forced to use another permitted water source to serve its customers.
The DEP said Chesapeake must correct the existing violations at the site by March 29, until which it will not permit Chesapeake to resume construction there.
The order to cease comes after Chesapeake did not respond to DEP's notice of violation for several violations of the Clean Streams Law and Oil and Gas Act. DEP met Chesapeake on March 10 after a routine site inspection on March 8.
Shares of Chesapeake were down 11 cents at $33.59 on Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Thyagaraju Adinarayan; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty) Link
