Webinar explores the underground injection control program in Pennsylvania
Monday, January 19, 2015
From PENN STATE EXTENSION
While much of the fluid from oil and gas drilling is recycled, there are still residual fluids that must be disposed of properly. One means of disposal has been underground injection wells.
In Pennsylvania, injection wells of all types, are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Karen D. Johnson, Chief of the Ground Water & Enforcement Branch of EPA, Region 3, will discuss the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program in Pennsylvania, its implementation in the Commonwealth, and current UIC well activity for the January shale webinar.
Johnson states, “Although EPA has been implementing the Underground Injection Control Program in Pennsylvania since 1985, and there are over 40,000 injection wells of various types in the state, there many misconceptions about the program. The primary purpose of the program, is to protect underground sources of drinking water from potential contamination.”
The educational webinar will run from 1:00 to 2:00 PM ET on Thursday, January 22nd, 2015. While free, registration for the webinars are necessary. All can go to the Penn State Extension Natural Gas Events page to register and to find out more information for each upcoming webinar. For more information, contact Carol Loveland at 570-320-4429 or by email at cal24@psu.edu.Penn State Extension’s Marcellus Education Team provides monthly webinars on a variety of topics.
Upcoming webinars for 2015 include:
- February 19 The Fracking-water Nexus: Issues encountered by Industry, Dr. Terry Engelder, Professor of Geosciences, Penn State University
- March 19 Natural Gas Liquids: From Wellhead to Fractionation, Dan Brockett, Educator, Penn State Extension Marcellus Education Team
Previous webinars, publications and information also are available on the Penn State Extension Natural Gas website, covering a variety of topics such as Act 13, seismic testing, air pollution from gas development; water use and quality; natural gas liquids regional development, natural gas reserves; gas-leasing considerations for landowners; legal issues surrounding gas development; and the impact of Marcellus gas development on forestland.
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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.