Illegal Dumping of Brine Water in Youngstown Area
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
According to The Youngstown Vindicator, employees of Hard Rock Excavating, a D&L Energy owned company, were directed to dump some 20,000 gallons of wastewater down a storm drain.
The incident happened January 31, 2013.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection agency were on the scene of the dumping within three hours, after receiving an anonymous tip.
Read it:
“Emergency response teams from the OEPA, U.S. EPA and ODNR managed to collect samples of the dumped substance that are being analyzed. Workers continue to mitigate the effects of the spill, where the drain entered a Mahoning River tributary behind the Toys “R” Us Distribution Center on Geoffrey Trail just off Salt Springs Road and leaked an unknown amount of oil and brine into the river.”
According to The Vindicator, D&L energy has a history of at least 120 violations at 32 injection and extraction wells across Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Any company or individual found responsible for intentionally dumping brine water is subject to a $10,000 fine, six months in prison, or both.
A criminal investigation is now underway.
» Via: The Youngstown Vindicator › Documents: CEO Lupo directed illegal dump of brine
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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.