Waste Water Treatment Plants the Next Battleground in the Drilling Debate

Harrisburg Patriot-News (Nov 18):
Twelve Marcellus Shale gas drilling wastewater treatment plants proposed in northern Pennsylvania

Water treatment plants are the next battleground in the drilling debate. There is increasing opposition to the licensing of treatment plants, not only because of the chemicals used, but the truck traffic involved. From this article out of Harrisburg:

The state Department of Environmental Protection is reviewing permit applications associated with at least 12 different proposals to build treatment plants for chemical-tainted wastewater from natural gas drilling operations in northern Pennsylvania.

Ten of the plants are proposed in DEP’s 14-county north-central region, which is centered on Lycoming and Clinton counties.

Also from this article, a few stats of interest:

Through October, 120 of the 1,592 Marcellus Shale well drilling permits issued by DEP this year were for sites in Susquehanna County.

And this:

DEP issued 1,592 Marcellus Shale gas well drilling permits in the first 10 months of 2009. More than one-third of them were in the 14-county north-central region.