Shale Gas ExtractionShale Gas ExtractionWastewater Issues Wastewater Issues

Panel DiscussionPanel Discussion

August 2, 2011 Irving, TX

EPA/RIVPA 27th Annual Pretreatment Workshop

Jan Marie PickrelUS EPA, Office of Wastewater Management

Water Regulation of Fracking FluidsWater Regulation of Fracking Fluids

Safe Drinking Water Act• Underground Injection Control (UIC)

• UIC Class II permitting guidance for use of diesel fuels in fracturing fluids

Clean Water Act• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

• Pretreatment

Voluntary Information RequestVoluntary Information Request

9 Natural Gas Service Companies

Chemical Composition of fluids used in fracturingData on impacts of chemicals on human health

and the environmentStandard operating procedures at sitesLocations of sites where fracturing was

conducted

BJ Services RPC, Inc.

Complete Production Services Schlumberger

Halliburton Superior Well Services

Key Energy Services Weatherford

Patterson-UTI

EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study PlanEPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan EPA directed by Congress to Study Draft to EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB): 2/8/2011 SAB Review of Plan: 3/7-8/2011 Initial Results to public: 12/2012 Report of further research: 2014

Scope: “Lifespan of Water,” focus on drinking water impacts

Report: “Draft Plan to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources, ” February 2011

EPA/600/D-11/001 www.epa.gov/research http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/02ad90b136fc21ef85256eba00436459/D3483AB445AE61418525775900603E79/$File/Draft+Plan+to+Study+the+Potential+Impacts+of+Hydraulic+Fracturing+on+Drinking+Water+Resources-February+2011.pdf

Research Questions for Each Stage of the Hydraulic Research Questions for Each Stage of the Hydraulic Fracturing Water LifecycleFracturing Water LifecycleFigure 1 from Draft Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan, February 7, 2011Figure 1 from Draft Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan, February 7, 2011

7 Case Study Field Locations7 Case Study Field LocationsHaynesville Shale – DeSoto Parish, LAMarcellus Shale – Washington Co., PA

Bakken Shale - Killdeer Co. & Dunn Co, NDBarnett Shale - Wise Co. & Denton Co, TXMarcellus Shale – Bradford Co. &

Susquehanna Co., PAMarcellus Shale – Washington Co., PARaton Basin – Los Animas Co., CO

Guidance for Implementing the Guidance for Implementing the Regulations: Regulations: SDWA - UICSDWA - UIC

UIC Guidance for Permitting Oil and Natural Gas Hydraulic Fracturing Activities Using Diesel Fuels

4 technical webinars with specific stakeholder groups in May 2011

http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/wells_hydroout.cfm

Guidance for Implementing the Guidance for Implementing the Regulations: Regulations: NPDES/PretreatmentNPDES/Pretreatment

FAQ Memorandum – 3/17/2011“Regulating Natural Gas Drilling in the Marcellus

Shale under the NPDES Program”◦ http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/hydrofracturing_faq_memo.pdf◦ http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/hydrofracturing_faq.pdf

Coming soon:Guidance for Permitting Authorities and POTW Control Authorities

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/pub/openfile/ofog10_01.aspx http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/pub/openfile/ofog10_01.aspx

Chlorides x Conductivity Conductivity x Total Dissolved Solids

Chemistry and origin of oil and gas well brines in western PennsylvaniaDresel, P. E., and Rose, A. W., 2010

Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th ser., Open-File Report OFOG 10–01.0

Chlorides x Total Dissolved Solids