EPA Plans Detailed Study of Hydraulic Fracturing
Industrial WaterWorld
March/April 2010
Viewpoint
The Protection Agency is planning to study the impact of hydraulic
fracturing and the risks is poses for surface and ground water.
The study was prompted, in part, because of growing interest in mining
gas reserves in the Marcellus Shale formation that extends from Ohio
and West Virginia northeast into Pennsylvania and southern New York.
Geologists estimate that the entire Marcellus Shale formation contains
between 168 trillion to 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Although the formation is exposed at the ground surface in some
locations, it is as deep as 7,000 feet or more below the ground along
the Pennsylvania border in the Delaware River valley. Drilling activity
is expected to focus on areas where the Marcellus shale is deeper than
2,000 feet.
Gas formations are typically hundreds of feet below drinking water
aquifers and gas industry proponents claim no instances of ground water
contamination have been linked conclusively to the fracturing process.
However, a number of the water contamination claims around the country
have been blamed on surface spills of fracturing fluids or linked to
defective well construction that allowed natural gas or drilling fluids
to leak into water supplies.
Hydraulic fracturing involves drilling into a formation and injecting
water mixed with sand and chemicals under high pressure. The mixture
cracks open the shale while the sand holds open the fractures, allowing
the natural gas to flow more freely to the surface.
The chemicals used in Frac water make up a small part of the overall
mix — less than 0.5 percent by volume — but often include hazardous
substances such as acids and compounds found in cleaners and antifreeze.
"Our research will be designed to answer questions about the potential
impact of hydraulic fracturing on human health and the environment,"
said Dr. Paul T. Anastas, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of
Research and Development. "The study will be conducted through a
transparent, peer-reviewed process, with significant stakeholder input."
Hydraulic fracturing is not subject to federal drinking water laws but
is regulated by state laws. The disposal and storage of all water and
fracturing fluids that come back out of a gas well — called produced
water — is covered by federal law. Several interesting new systems are
being developed to treat that water, which is typically high in
dissolved salts.
EPA is in the very early stages of designing its hydraulic fracturing
research program. The agency has set aside $1.9 million for the study
this year with more funds possible next year.
The agency is proposing the process begin with (1) defining research
questions and identifying data gaps; (2) conducting a process for
stakeholder input and research prioritization; (3) with this input,
developing a detailed study design that will undergo external
peer-review, leading to (4) implementing the planned research studies.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee started its own investigation
of hydraulic fracturing earlier this year, asking for data from
companies such as Halliburton and Schlumberger.
The proposed legislation, known as the Frac Act, would require drilling
companies to apply for fracturing permits and reveal the contents of
the fluids they use. A spokesman for one of the bill sponsors, Rep.
Maurice Hinchey, D-NY, said the congressman is pleased with EPA's study
plan, but will continue to push the bill forward.