Pa. legislature revisits special standards for conventional drillers
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
The Pennsylvania legislature is revisiting the prospect of looser environmental standards to conventional oil and gas drillers, according to StateImpact Pennsylvania.
If passed House Bill 1144 would make it so companies don’t have to report oil spills under five barrels or brine spills under 15 barrels
“unless there is an immediate threat to public health, safety or the environment.” The proposed legislation also revives a controversial provision that would let companies dump drilling fluids on roads.
HB 1144 is similar to a bill that the legislature passed last session and Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed because he said it posed a risk to public health and safety and it likely wouldn’t withstand a legal challenge.
Learn more: State Impact Pennsylvania > Legislature revives effort to create special standards for conventional drillers
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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.