Environmental groups poised to sue EPA for lax waste disposal rules
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Environmental groups see the need for better standards for drilling and fracking waste disposal, and they’re prepared to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in order to get those standards set in place.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource reports that on Aug. 26, eight environmental organizations filed a court notice that gives EPA 60 days to review and revise its current regulations for drilling and fracking waste disposal.
The environmental groups involved claim that numerous instances of pollution, injection wells that have caused earthquakes and contaminants in drilling waste that are harmful to humans and the environment.
Via: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource > Groups to sue EPA in effort to better regulate disposal of fracking waste
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.