Pennsylvania faces wastewater disposal conundrum
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Pennsylvania faces a potential wastewater disposal problem as environmentalists fight new injection wells within the state and demand stricter regulations in Ohio, according to Inside Climate News.
Although Pennsylvania drillers have taken some pressure off the state’s wastewater buildup by reusing most of their wastewater to drill new wells, they still took almost 234 million gallons of wastewater last year to injection disposal wells according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The state has only 12 active injection disposal wells for wastewater that drillers can’t recycle. However, activists are fighting the proposition of more.
Currently, three-quarters of Pennsylvania wastewater destined for wells is trucked to Ohio, which had 228 injection wells in 2021. However, activists are now demanding stricter regulations in Ohio, as well.
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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.