To Frack or Not to Frack- A Question Not Asked

Challenges in Water Pollution Control Engineering – Bethel Bethel outlines engineering challenges brought on by innovation in knowledge, technology, and financial change: – Familiarity with new methods – Obtaining information form operating personnel – Recognizing the importance of additional design – Maintaining good public relations – Participation in the legal and financial aspects of the new processes Fracking – challenges the regulator/engineer on all these fronts

Water Pollution Issues

Sources of Water Pollution in “Fracking” 2-4 Million gallons of water per well – estimates are that annual water use is in range of 70 – 140 Billion gallons (about what 5,000,000 people need annually) Out of 2500 chemicals used in fracturing 650 are know to be carcinogenic. Produced water – the water that flows back up is % of what is injected into the ground – needs to be stored and treated Dissolved Methane (biggest component of NG) is a pollutant.

The Good News!

Production from the Barnett Field

Since 1997 More Than 13,500 Wells Completed in the Barnett Shale

But- We’re OK Because This Is Regulated, Right? Clean Air Act – most oil and gas production sites are not required to obtain a Title V permit – because their emissions are below the size limit – thus not regulated Clean Water Act – exploration, production, processing of oil and gas, process, or treatment operations – exempt (the so called Halliburton Loophole) Safe Drinking Water Act – the underground injection of fluids…other than diesel oil…are not considered regulated underground injection for the purposes of this act RCRA, CERCLA, EPCRA – all the have some form of exemptions.

Conclusion Fracking is growing very rapidly and will continue to do so It is largely unregulated – at the Federal level Most new techno advances made by industry – regulator needs to run to catch up Information is tightly held- “intellectual property” – end result is that regulator and people need sites don’t know what is being put in the environment Technical improvement is possible – but not without regulation (supposition on my part) Public Relations – poor – see Gasland The companies are in the forefront of the legal and financial implications of fracking – regulator needs to catch up Personal comment – I don’t want to kill the golden goose – I do want to keep it from drowning in its own waste.