Fracking Waste Coming Ohio’s Way
Monday, July 1, 2013
According to the Columbus Dispatch, 14.2 million barrels of fracking fluid were pumped into Ohio’s disposal wells in 2012. That’s a 12 percent increase from 2011.
Fracking waste is pumped into Ohio’s ground via deep-injection wells. The kind of well made infamous when one deep-injection well was linked to earthquakes in Youngstown. Since then, that particular well has been shut down.
What’s driving the increase in Ohio’s fracking waste? Development of the Marcellus and Utica shale. It’s not just Ohio’s own fluids being disposed of, in 2012 Ohio disposed of 8.16 million barrels of waste from other states, mainly Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Pennsylvania has seven wells, West Virgnia has 63. Ohio currently has 191 operating deep-injection wells and as more waste comes, companies are drilling more wells.
» Via: The Columbus Dispatch › Fracking waste keeps rolling into Ohio from other states
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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.