What happens to radioactive waste from fracking?
Thursday, July 10, 2014
There’s a by-product of oil and gas fracking that’s causing a stir in eastern Ohio: radioactive waste from drilling. Some residents are concerned about the safety of dealing with radioactive materials.
The Business Journal reports that in accordance with Ohio law, waste cannot be disposed of in landfills if there is a significant amount of radiation found. Due to this, waste from shale oil and gas fracking has to be tested before it is taken to landfills. Austin Master Services, Inc. is one company that tests the radiation levels and by-products of fracking.
For Austin Master, containers of waste take no more than 10 minutes to analyze for radiation. As of now, testing is conducted at Industrial Waste Control, Inc., located in Youngstown.
Austin Master is planning to start a testing site where there is more shale activity, like in Carroll County and Monroe County. They have found that most oil and gas companies do not want to transport their waste to Youngstown to have it tested, so setting up a testing location at a landfill farther south could bring companies there.
Related stories: How Ohio is dealing with radioactive drilling waste
Via: The Business Journal > Company addresses council about radioactive waste
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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.