EPA plans to develop national standards for disposal of waste water from shale gas fracking

I blogged recently about some of the issues around shale gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing (fracking).  In the last year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has undertaken to study the impact of shale gas extraction on drinking water.

The EPA has just announced a schedule to develop standards for wastewater discharges produced by natural gas extraction from shale formations. The EPA intends to begin the process of developing a proposed national standard.  Currently, it is illegal to dump wastewater associated with shale gas extraction into waterways and other waters of the U.S.  Some of the wastewater from shale gas extraction can be reused, but a significant amount still requires disposal.  Shale gas wastewater is often transported to treatment plants which are not equipped to treat this type of wastewater.

Comments

[Jonathon Moyce]

Hello,

My name is Jonathon Moyce and I work for the British Standards Institution. I have been keeping up to date with the shale gas issues in the US and I am very interested in the plans for a national standard surrounding this area, in particularly waste water.

I am looking for information surrounding shale gas standards as I will be approaching the large drilling companies here in the UK to suggest national standards as the way forward. Shale Gas and Fracking is in its infancy in the UK however, there is already environmental concern, e.g. the recent earthquake tremors in Fylde, Blackpool.

I would be grateful if you could contact me to discuss the next steps for the EPA. This will help me to understand whether a national standard would best suit the UK.
Kind Regards

Jonathon