May 6, 2025 2 min read

Pennsylvania’s oil and gas industry produces hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater, often called “brine,” every year. This wastewater contains varying amounts of heavy metals, radioactive materials, salts, hydrocarbons, and other pollutants, some of which are carcinogenic and threaten human and animal health. Desperate to offload this toxic byproduct, the industry has repackaged it for public use, promoting its application as a road deicer and dust suppressant.

While Pennsylvania currently has a moratorium on road-spreading conventional oil and gas waste, a loophole allows some municipalities to continue this practice because it is a low-cost option. However, multiple studies have shown that oil and gas wastewater is ineffective for road maintenance and can be harmful. Research has found that it is no more effective at dust control than rainwater and that runoff from treated roads contains radium, a known carcinogen. Rather than protecting roads, this practice introduces potential long-term health and environmental risks.

The current moratorium has proven insufficient in stopping the spread of this waste. Pennsylvania must ban the use of oil and gas wastewater on roads entirely. Townships that rely on road-spreading should be given incentives – such as financial support – to transition to commercially available, tested alternatives that do not endanger public health. Lawmakers, regulators, and residents must stand together to protect our communities from this unnecessary practice.

The science is clear: road-spreading is ineffective, potentially dangerous, and outdated. Pennsylvania must act now to ban it for good. The Center for Coalfield Justice and its allies urge the state Department of Environmental Protection and state legislators to prioritize public health and environmental safety over industry convenience.

Nina Victoria

Community Advocate

Center for Coalfield Justice