JERSEY SHORE -- Two Marcellus Shale natural gas companies have been accused of causing the death of 169 salamanders by polluting an unnamed tributary to Bonnell Run and Little Pine Creek in northwestern Lycoming County.

Sent a summons to appear March 8 before District Judge Jerry C. Lepley are Anadarko E&P Onshore of Woodlands, Texas, and Oil States Energy Services of Clearfield.

Oil States is identified as Andarko's contractor for disposal of wastewater from Bonnell Run Pad D that contains six gas wells.

A director of the Bonnell Run Hunting and Fishing Corp. on whose property the pad is located told an investigator the club had verbal agreements with Anadarko that no contaminated water would be stored on the property, the arrest affidavit states.

Despite those agreements, Anadarko placed 65 temporary tanks in which flow-back water from fracking operations was stored until trucked off site, the document states.

The two companies are accused of allowing without a permit the discharge of an estimated 1,050 gallons of liquids from the storage tanks at the well pad in February 2015.

A Fish and Boat Commission biologist estimated the dead salamanders were worth $6,156. He also discovered dead amphibian egg masses, the charges state.

Although a leaky valve initially was reported as the cause of the discharge, an investigation determined the valves worked properly and the spill was caused by tank overflow, the affidavit alleges.

The Department of Environmental Protection was notified of the release Feb. 17, 2015, and told Oil States had corrected the situation, the charges state.

Tests of the unnamed tributary revealed the presence of barium, chloride and strontium, the document states.

Each company is charged with disturbance of waterways and pollution of waterways.