Necessary Attention to Gas 'By-product'

Washington PA Observer Reporter
1 July 2010

A crackdown by state police provides hard evidence that the actual drilling process is not the only potential threat posed by Marcellus Shale operations.

During a three-day enforcement effort targeting trucks hauling wastewater from gas-drilling operations statewide, troopers forced drivers to park 250 commercial vehicles. Operation FracNET, as it was called, also involved participation by the state Department of Environmental Protection, the state Public Utility Commission and the federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

In all, more than 1,100 vehicles were stopped and inspected. Of the 250 that were taken out of service, more than 130 were hauling wastewater from drilling sites. Forty-five drivers were pulled off the roads by troopers, including 23 who were driving wastewater trucks. Their offenses were not immediately detailed.

Troopers from Troop B, which covers Washington, Greene, Fayette and Allegheny counties, accounted for 57 of the vehicles that were taken out of service. They issued 241 citations.

Many residents in our local areas where drilling is taking place have seen their roads pulverized by heavy truck traffic to the point at which they sometimes resemble something one might see in a Third World country, and our personal observations lead us to believe that at least some of the drivers of the wastewater trucks take speed limit signs as mere suggestions.

The drilling companies might argue that the drivers and companies handling removal of wastewater are merely contractors and not under their direct control, but the gas drillers are ultimately responsible for any and all segments of the process.

We agree with DEP Secretary John Hanger, who said, "As activities at natural gas sites continue to increase, it is important that everyone involved, including the wastewater transportation industry, understands Pennsylvania's environment and traffic safety laws and complies with them."