Wastewater

Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Warren County | Wastewater

Two New PA Injection Wells Will Accept Fracking Wastewater Starting this Fall
June 27, 2011June 27, 2011

Drillers in Pennsylvania who do not recycle 100 percent of the wastewater from hydraulic fracturing for reuse must dispose of that wastewater somewhere. The options are to haul the wastewater, which is mostly salt water but contains a small amount of chemicals, to certified treatment plants that are specially fitted to treat it and release it into waterways, or haul it to an underground injection well. Most of the injection wells PA drillers have been using are located in Ohio. However, two new injections wells are due to come online in Columbus Township (Warren County), PA this fall, giving drillers in PA a new option.

Read More “Two New PA Injection Wells Will Accept Fracking Wastewater Starting this Fall”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

PA Public Drinking Water Not Radioactive After All
June 21, 2011June 21, 2011

Further proof that the New York Times series of “PA water is radioactive because treated Marcellus drilling wastewater was released into waterways” scare articles was nothing more than hot air and fiction:

Read More “PA Public Drinking Water Not Radioactive After All”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Patriot Water Treatment | Trumbull County | Wastewater

Patriot Water Permit Renewal in Jeopardy in Northeastern Ohio
June 21, 2011June 21, 2011

Patriot Water operates a Marcellus Shale wastewater treatment plant in Warren, Ohio—in the northeastern part of the state, not far from the border of PA. Patriot pre-treats drilling wastewater and then sends it to the Warren municipal sewage treatment plant where it is further processed and released to the Mahoning River. Patriot has invested $3 million and has hired 45 people to operate the plant.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) has told the Warren municipal sewage treatment plant their permit to accept Patriot’s treated wastewater will not be renewed when it expires in July 2012, even though there has not been a single “finding” or violation issued by the OEPA to Patriot.

Read More “Patriot Water Permit Renewal in Jeopardy in Northeastern Ohio”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Wastewater

PA Marcellus Drilling Wastewater Going to Ohio
June 20, 2011June 20, 2011

Millions of barrels of fracking fluid—wastewater often referred to as “brine” because of the heavy salts in it—are being imported from Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale drilling operations into Ohio, and it has some Ohioans concerned. Fracking fluid/wastewater/brine is what comes back out of the bore hole after sending water, sand and some chemicals down the hole during drilling.

Many larger drillers now recycle 100 percent of the wastewater for reuse in other drilling. For those who do not recycle it, it must be disposed—either by treating it at special facilities where it is then safe for release back into streams and rivers, or by storing it in underground wells, known as injection wells.

Read More “PA Marcellus Drilling Wastewater Going to Ohio”
Cayuga County | Industrywide Issues | New York | Public Opinion | Wastewater

Marcellus Drilling Debate Now Affecting Conventional Gas Drilling in New York State
June 3, 2011June 3, 2011

The debate over horizontal hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale has now spilled over to affect conventional gas drilling in New York State. Protesters rallied outside Auburn City Hall (a small city in Upstate New York) yesterday afternoon to oppose the local municipal sewage treatment plant’s practice of accepting gas drilling wastewater for treatment and release into the Owasco River. None of the wastewater accepted comes from Marcellus Shale drilling—it all comes from conventional natural gas drilling in New York State.

Read More “Marcellus Drilling Debate Now Affecting Conventional Gas Drilling in New York State”
Atlas Energy | Chesapeake Energy | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Statewide PA | SWEPI | Talisman Energy | Wastewater

PA Drillers Comply with Federal EPA’s Request for Information on Wastewater Disposal
May 27, 2011May 27, 2011

When the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently told Marcellus Shale drillers in the state to stop hauling wastewater from fracking to municipal sewage treatment plants that are not equipped to fully treat the wastewater by May 19 (see MDN story here), they all committed to comply and indeed did comply. But the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jumped in and demanded detailed plans from six drillers as to just how they planned on treating and disposing of the wastewater once the they stopped using the municipal plants.

The EPA’s deadline for the six drillers to file plans was Wednesday, May 25. Five of the six complied by the deadline:

Read More “PA Drillers Comply with Federal EPA’s Request for Information on Wastewater Disposal”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

City of Lancaster, PA Water Testing Finds No Radioactivity Nor Salty Bromides in the Susquehanna River
May 25, 2011May 25, 2011

A few months ago, the New York Times published a series of articles alleging that Pennsylvania’s waterways may contain radioactivity because Marcellus Shale drilling wastewater had been treated and discharged into streams and rivers in the state. The articles created a good deal of fear that drinking water supplies have been polluted in Pennsylvania.

Read More “City of Lancaster, PA Water Testing Finds No Radioactivity Nor Salty Bromides in the Susquehanna River”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Federal EPA Continues to Bully Pennsylvania Using the Safe Water Drinking Act
May 13, 2011May 13, 2011

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to assert itself into states’ business by claiming authority of the federal Safe Water Drinking Act. The latest example was yesterday. The EPA requested (ie demanded) details from six drillers who operate in Pennsylvania on where they will dispose of fracking fluid wastewater now that the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has told drillers that certain municipal sewage treatment plants not specially equipped will no longer be able to accept fracking wastewater. The EPA wants to know where that wastewater will now go.

But the PA DEP itself has not escaped the heavy hand of the federal EPA either. The EPA has “requested” (ie demanded) PA DEP provide a list of facilities that accept fracking wastewater. And the EPA has other “requests” for the DEP on how to do things better (see the EPA press release below).

Read More “Federal EPA Continues to Bully Pennsylvania Using the Safe Water Drinking Act”
Energy Services | Heckmann | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Wastewater Company Heckmann Corp. Makes Major Expansion in Shale Gas Regions, Including the Marcellus
May 12, 2011May 12, 2011

Heckmann Corporation, a water solutions company focused on water issues and, in particular, oil and natural gas exploration and production, has completed four acquisitions that substantially expand the Company’s water solutions for energy development business segment, including a major presence in the Marcellus Shale region. Within the past year, the California-based company has grown from 30 employees to over 750, and from $8.6 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2010 to $23.8 million for the first quarter of 2011.(1) Heckmann has a small but rapidly growing operational base in Pittsburgh for it’s Marcellus Shale operations.

Read More “Wastewater Company Heckmann Corp. Makes Major Expansion in Shale Gas Regions, Including the Marcellus”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Patriot Water Treatment | Trumbull County | Wastewater

Ohio’s First Marcellus Shale Wastewater Treatment Plant Now Open for Business
May 11, 2011May 11, 2011

The first Marcellus Shale wastewater treatment plant in Ohio (Trumbull County) is now open for business, with more on the way:

Read More “Ohio’s First Marcellus Shale Wastewater Treatment Plant Now Open for Business”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

New Technology May Hold Key to Cleaning Fracking Fluids, Early Tests Very Promising
May 3, 2011May 3, 2011

A new technology funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory may hold the key to cleaning Marcellus Shale (and other drilling) fracking fluids. According to the press release from the DOE below, this new technology removes 99 percent of oil and grease from the water in fracking fluid, and it removes 90 percent of the nasty stuff: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. The Osorb technology uses “swelling glass”—silica or sand-like particles—to absorb the chemicals. And it can be re-used over and over again. See a video of it in action below.

Read More “New Technology May Hold Key to Cleaning Fracking Fluids, Early Tests Very Promising”
Atlas Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Statewide PA | Wastewater

MDN In-depth: Marcellus Wastewater Discharges via Municipal Sewage Treatment Plants into PA Waterways
April 25, 2011April 25, 2011

A number of stories have circulated since last week when the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) asked Marcellus Shale drillers to voluntarily (or else) stop using municipal sewage treatment plants by May 19 to treat and release drilling wastewater into PA’s rivers and streams (read MDN’s story here). One of the latest articles is (gasp) a pretty balanced article from the Associated Press, so let’s give credit where credit is due since MDN has previously stated almost all of AP’s reporting on the drilling industry is skewed against it.

Below is a list of things we learn from the most recent AP missive, along with MDN’s thoughts. First the background and history, then an examination of the chemistry, and finally what changed the drilling industry’s collective mind about this issue, including who the “real” culprit in all of this may be.

Read More “MDN In-depth: Marcellus Wastewater Discharges via Municipal Sewage Treatment Plants into PA Waterways”
Allegheny County | Cambria County | Elk County | Greene County (PA) | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (PA) | Lawrence County | Pennsylvania | Snyder County | Venango County | Warren County | Wastewater | Westmoreland County

PA DEP, Marcellus Shale Coalition Admit Drilling Wastewater Likely Contaminating Drinking Water
April 19, 2011

There are 15 (of an original 27) municipal sewage treatment plants in Pennsylvania that still accept Marcellus Shale drilling wastewater. That is, until May 19 of this year.

Read More “PA DEP, Marcellus Shale Coalition Admit Drilling Wastewater Likely Contaminating Drinking Water”
Energy Services | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Brine Treatment | Wastewater

PA Marcellus Wastewater Treatment Plant Threatens Lawsuit Against Pitt Researcher
April 14, 2011April 14, 2011

University of Pittsburgh researcher Conrad “Dan” Volz is resigning in May as director of Pitt’s Center for Healthy Environments and Communities because of his “philosophical differences” with the university over the issue of Marcellus Shale drilling. Volz has been a visible and loud voice against drilling, and that does not sit well at Pitt.

Volz released a report on March 23, subsequently revised and reissued two days ago, critical of the Pennsylvania Brine Treatment plant near Black Lick, in Indiana County, PA. The plant treats and releases Marcellus Shale wastewater into the Blacklick Creek. In the report, Volz recommends the plant’s operations be halted.

Read More “PA Marcellus Wastewater Treatment Plant Threatens Lawsuit Against Pitt Researcher”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Wastewater

PA DEP Sec. Krancer Continues to Push Back Against the Federal EPA – Tells Them in April 6 Letter that PA is Doing Just Fine, Thanks
April 8, 2011April 8, 2011

On April 6, newly appointed PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Michael Krancer responded yet again to the overreaching federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a blunt and factual letter outlining the measures PA has already taken, and new policies they will be taking, to protect drinking water supplies for PA citizens. MDN previously wrote (see here) about the EPA’s interference in PA’s affairs following the sensational claims made by a series of articles in The New York Times that claimed PA was allowing radioactive wastewater to be dumped into PA waterways. About the same time as the Times articles, the DEP released the results of ongoing water testing in seven rivers that showed radioactivity levels were at or below normal levels.

Read More “PA DEP Sec. Krancer Continues to Push Back Against the Federal EPA – Tells Them in April 6 Letter that PA is Doing Just Fine, Thanks”
Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

Arkansas Officials Claim Injection Wells Used for Wastewater are Causing Earthquakes
April 4, 2011April 4, 2011

How do drilling companies dispose of drilling wastewater? In Pennsylvania and other locations, drillers recycle much of the wastewater (or fracking fluid) by mixing it with new water and reusing it. Some drillers are recycling 100 percent of their wastewater. But in some areas, drillers use a method called injection wells—pumping the wastewater down deep wells created specifically for disposing of it—in a place where it will not rise back to the surface.

Injection wells are being used in another shale formation, the Fayetteville Shale, in Arkansas. And use of those wells has caused some controversy. Some believe injection wells in Arkansas have led to earthquakes in the area.

Read More “Arkansas Officials Claim Injection Wells Used for Wastewater are Causing Earthquakes”