close

State DEP outlines water use

3 min read

The use of abandoned coal mine drainage for natural gas drilling is becoming more of a possibility.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued a white paper outlining the process by which this coal mine water can be used in hydraulic fracturing, the process used in horizontal natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

The move would not only reduce the amount of freshwater used in hydraulic fracturing but also would help remove millions of gallons of acid mine water impacting an estimated 5,500 miles of rivers and streams in the state. More than 300 million gallons of such water is discharged from mines into the state’s waterways daily.

The DEP also released a map which shows the locations of major mine discharges the agency is encouraging operators to use first. In Washington County, there are two locations, both in Smith Township, and two others in Dunkard Township, Greene County.

“Abandoned mines present Pennsylvania with one of its biggest environmental challenges,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “This initiative, which combines remediating abandoned mine water with responsible extraction of our natural gas resources, is a win for our environment and our economy.”

Range Resources, which uses water from the Ohio River in addition to its water recycling program, would welcome examining the potential of coal mine water as a way to benefit the environment, said spokesman Matt Pitzarella.

The proposals are available on the agency’s website. It outlines how proposals to use the water are to be submitted to the agency and how staff will review them.

The possibility of using acid mine drainage for hydraulic fracturing had been raised before, and was part of the 2011 recommendations from the Governor’s Marcellus Shale Coalition.

But drilling companies feared having to assume full liability on the mine drainage water while needing only temporary use of the water.

Now a project could be structured under the Environmental Good Samaritan Act, which provides liability protection, or the DEP would agree to not hold the person liable as long as specific conditions were met.

In order for the water to be used, the interested party will need to conduct water sampling, an analysis of potential impacts from pumping activities if they are needed, and identification of storage methods and locations.

While the DEP had termed this water AMD, for abandoned mine drainage, it now calls it mine influenced water. Kevin Sunday, a DEP spokesman, said the DEP uses MIW because some discharges aren’t acidic in nature but do present water-quality issues.

“We want to make sure that the industry and nonprofits involved here understand they are welcome to use water coming from an abandoned mine, not just acid mine discharge,” he explained in an email.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today