Pennsylvania DEP plans to impose restrictions on wastewater at drilling sites
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Shale drilling requires large volumes of wastewater. At first, companies used large wastewater pits to hold the water until tank systems were introduced. Now, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is working to makes sure that temporary waste pits are banned, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource.
The DEP also plans to enforce stricter standards to impoundments — centralized wastewater ponds — which have been linked to some cases of soil and water contamination.
Instead of wastewater pits and impoundments, companies can purchase above-ground storage tanks, which can be moved to new drilling sites once wells are completed.
Via: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource > New rules to restrict shale wastewater ponds could put tank manufacturers in demand
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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.