Waste production data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection shows that the amount of disposed flowback sand is increasing, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource.

Sand is used in the fracking process to keep fractures open while gas flows out. In turn, sand comes out of the ground with flowback water after wells are fracked.

In 2014, more than 43,000 tons of flowback sand was disposed of by companies in Pennsylvania, compared to 14,500 tons in 2011. In 2014, 1,373 shale wells were started; in 2011, 1,957 shale wells were started. The volume of sand may not be accurate, though, as some producers might include flowback sand in their flowback fluid numbers.

Via: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource > More sand goes into shale wells, and more comes out

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