Wastewater pipelines are allowed to be buried according to Pennsylvania DEP
Thursday, November 5, 2015
There’s more to drilling an oil or gas well than just the well itself. A network of gathering lines, pipelines and storage facilities linked to wells move fluids during drilling and fracking.
In western Pennsylvania, aboveground wastewater pipelines have concerned landowners and farmers, but an edit in the language by Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection allows for these lines to be buried. Only temporary lines that serve one well at a time have to be installed above ground, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource reports.
The buried pipelines can be used for multiple wells over time, and they are conducive in areas where above ground pipelines would be in the way of truck traffic.
Via: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource > DEP allows wastewater lines to be buried
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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.