Water Issues Related to Marcellus Gas Drilling Activity

Bryan SwistockWater Resources Extension SpecialistPenn State Cooperative ExtensionSchool of Forest Resourcesbrs@psu.edu814-863-0194

A Summary of State Regulations

• Water management plan in gas drilling permit

• Earth disturbance permit if > 5 acres • Enforced by DEP BOGM instead of

Conservation Districts

• Bonds for water supply replacement (1984 era)

• “Presumed responsibility” for contamination of drinking water supplies within 1,000 feet of gas well and six months after drilling

• Setbacks (adjustable by DEP or landowner)• 200 feet to drinking water supply• 100 feet to “blue line” streams• 100 feet to wetlands > 1 acre• Outside designated floodplains

Freshwater Use for Drilling Typically 3 to 6 million gallons per well

Access to water = landowner control

Allocation of water = state control Basin commissions, DEP, Clean Streams Law

Water withdrawals Purchase water from communities Large rivers and impoundments Small streams and groundwater Incentives – wastewater

Biggest concerns Withdrawals in western PA Illegal withdrawals – enforcement “loss of water” to formation

Hydrofracturing

• 3 to 6 million gallons of water per well• Average flowback around 10%• EPA starting new study of hydrofracturing

Chemistry is high variable in time and space Salt (sodium, chloride) High total dissolved solids (TDS) Metals (barium, iron, manganese, etc.) Oil and grease Organic carbon Detergents Sediment Radionuclides (gross alpha, radon, etc.)

Collected in pits or tanks

Marcellus Gas Drilling Waste Fluids(volume expected to reach 3 million gallons per day this year)

Photo courtesy – Paul Hart, Hart Resource Technologies, Inc

Wastewater Treatment

Groundwater SuppliesPrivate Water Wells and Springs

• Over one million homes and farms in PA

• 45% had never been properly tested (before Marcellus started!)

• No regulations in PA!

• Pre-existing water quality problems are common (40%)

Water Wells drilled 1966-1994

Water Supply IssuesConcerns from spills, leaking pits,

improper well construction, fracing, etc.

Freshwater protection string installed to protect groundwater from drilling

Many water testing issues (cost, industry data, interpretation of results, etc.)

Most frequent issues• Sediment during initial drilling• Methane migration

Inadequate FPS implicated in several methane gas migration issues - new casing regulations aim to prevent future problems

Illustration courtesy Range Resources

Water Well Studies

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Northeast PA - 200 wells

McKean County - 200 wells

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Contaminant

Some recent western U.S. studies indicate higher contamination rates

No pre-drilling problems in NE PA

Penn State Water Well Research(Center for Rural Pennsylvania)

Objectives 1) Determine occurrence of groundwater contamination 2) Determine factors related to contamination if it occurs 3) Survey water supply owners to document their experiences

Phase 1 – intensive monitoring 50 water wells before, during and after gas drilling Located within ~2,000 feet of a site that will be drilled in 2010 Detailed testing of ~20 parameters Continuous TDS measurements

Phase 2 – broad monitoring 200+ water well after drilling Within 5,000 feet of Marcellus well Participants provide pre-drilling data and attend workshop

Surface Water Monitoring No presumed responsibility Many volunteer networks

Additional Actions to Protect Water

Landowner leasing stipulations Greater setbacks to water Use of tanks vs. pits for wastewater Pre + post-drilling testing of ALL water Water flow measurements (before seismic) Proper retirement of seismic holes Access to water (and payment) No surface lease?

Voluntary water testing and documentation

Reporting obvious problems (sediment, tastes, odors, loss of water, etc.) and report problems to DEP and gas drilling company

Updated regulations Casing and cementing regulations just updated Many proposals to increase setbacks, increase testing, restrict hydraulic

fracturing, etc.

Voluntary Industry Actions

Spill containment systems

Tanks vs. pits

Alternative fluids + additives for fracing

Water recycling

Expanded distance of pre-drilling water testing

Rapid response teams for water supply issues

Penn State Cooperative Extension Resources

http://extension.psu.edu/water