Rumor: Endicott Company May Want to Treat Fracking Wastewater

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The Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports on a rumor in today’s paper about a company in Endicott (Broome County, NY) thinking about treating fracking wastewater:

Endicott Interconnect Technologies, based in Endicott, has approached the state Department of Environmental Conservation about accepting hydraulic fracturing wastewater for treatment, according to DEC spokeswoman Emily DeSantis.

However, EI hasn’t filed a permit application with the state.

The company declined to discuss any plans to treat the material at its Endicott facility.

"This is so premature that there’s not really anything to discuss," said Chris Pelto, EI’s vice president for facilities. "If there was something to talk about then we could talk about it."*

The P&SB cites a reference in an application for a federal grant made by General Electric, stating that Endicott Interconnect (partnering with GE) is to be a pilot location for testing a new technology for treating fracking wastewater. EI denies it has been awarded any kind of grant for fracking wastewater treatment research and said the reference the P&SB found in the grant application is inaccurate.

For those who don’t live in the Greater Binghamton area, which includes Endicott, EI is part of what used to be IBM. EI’s facility in Endicott, is a massive series of buildings where all sorts of chemicals have been stored, used and disposed of in years gone by. EI does the kind of research work with membranes that gives credence to the rumor they may be working on something that would treat fracking fluid. That they would become a treatment facility is not beyond the realm of possibility. But obviously they aren’t ready to talk about it just yet.

*Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin (Oct 12, 2011) – Endicott Interconnect linked to possible local wastewater facility

2 Comments

  1. I think it’s more likely that Endicott Interconnect is simply afraid of the local firestorm that’s sure to erupt — the flames fanned by the Binghamton Press — once the news gets out that its technical people are looking into the possibility of a new business area, related to the water treatment issues raised by shale gas development.

    Why this sort of entrepreneurial, pro-active behavior should be cause for a public corporate lynching is beyond me.  But that’s where the over-heated public atmosphere stands at present in the Southern Tier.

    But it’s not fair to accuse the paper of chasing a rumor.  Whether they were ready to talk about it or not, Endicott Interconnect’s name appears on this August press release, announcing the grant award:

    //www.rpsea.org/en/art/350/

  2. Well GE (who is big in alternative energy and didn’t pay a dime in Federal income Taxes last year despite billions in profits) was a million dollar donor to the Obama campaign of 2008 in PAC money-which would explain Obamas stance against fracking-now that one of his donors can get a cut I am sure all will be well in the fracking industry again and GE will get a cut of it.

    Who will benefit?

     Look for a company called Green Hunter Energy ( formerly an alternative energy company now headed by the same CEO as Mangum Hunter Resources) to start treating frack water there as they made a quiet public announcement awhile back.