FERC allows Rover to resume drilling beneath Tuscarawas River
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
The Rover Pipeline can finally resume boring beneath the Tuscarawas River, where construction was halted after drilling slurry spilled into a wetland, following an OK from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to the Canton Repository.
Work at the Tuscarawas River crossing was put on hold after 2 million gallons of drilling slurry, tainted with diesel fuel spilled into a wetland in April. The slurry was later dumped in two quarries near water wells that supply Aqua Ohio and the Canton Water Department.
The recently-opened site beneath the Tuscarawas River was one of eight locations where the FERC said the Rover could resume work after the lengthy pause. Although it gave approval, the FERC said the authorization to resume boring does not bear on its continuing investigation into how the slurry was contaminated.
Learn more: Canton Repository > Rover can resume drilling under Tuscarawas River
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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.