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Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumOut-of-state frackers are dumping billions of gallons of waste in Ohio "disposal wells"
"Welcome to Portage County, Ohio, the biggest dumping ground for fracking waste in a state that is fast becoming the go-to destination for the byproducts of America's latest energy boom.
As frackingpumping a briny solution of water, lubricants, anti-bacterial agents, and a cocktail of other chemicals into underground shale formations at high pressure to fracture the rock and extract trapped natural gashas expanded in the Midwest, so has the need for disposing of used fracking fluid. That fracking waste can be recycled or processed at wastewater treatment facilities, much like sewage. But most of the waste630 billion gallons, each yeargoes back into the ground, pumped into disposal wells, which are then capped and sealed. A bunch of it ends up underneath Portage County.
Nestled in the northeast corner of Ohio, about halfway between Cleveland and Youngstown, this 500-square-mile county pumped 2,358,371 million barrelsalmost 75 million gallonsof fracking brine into 15 wells last year, driving enough liquid into the ground to fill a train of tanker cars that would stretch 37 miles. Most of the waste came from out of state."
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/07/portage-county-ohio-fracking-waste-disposal-capital-midwest
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Out-of-state frackers are dumping billions of gallons of waste in Ohio "disposal wells" (Original Post)
wtmusic
Jul 2013
OP
CincyDem
(6,363 posts)1. This has become a huge loophole for dumping "formerly toxic wastewater".
Look at this from the supply side.
A chemical plant runs a process that creates some quantity of waste water. In the past, the company had to catalog and report to the EPA all the chemical constituents of that water.
Now...they have a "NEW" product that they make at this chemical plant. It's called "ACME FRACKING FLUID". It's a "proprietary blend of surfactants and processing aides designed to preferentially improve fracking effectiveness and hydrocarbon recovery".
Sounds pretty good, eh? And when the EPA (or anyone else for that matter) asks "what's in your ACME FRACKING FLUID that you're pumping into our groundwater. The response - well, we can't (and don't have to) tell you because it's a trade secret.
What everyone knows is that this is the same waste water that was illegal to dump into surface ponds because it might contaminate ground water supplies. Now, thanks to some rebranding and trade secret laws, they can pump it directly into the groundwater aquifers, no need to wait for any seepage...just pump it right in. And, more importantly, instead of having to pay someone to haul away and decontaminate their waste water, these plants have a new profit center called fracking fluids.
As I saw somewhere recently - you think $100/barrel of oil is expensive? Just wait until fresh water costs more.
wtmusic
(39,166 posts)2. Thanks for background
This fracking juggernaut must be stopped.
Nihil
(13,508 posts)4. Sad but true.
> Now, thanks to some rebranding and trade secret laws, they can pump it directly into the groundwater aquifers,
> no need to wait for any seepage...just pump it right in. And, more importantly, instead of having to pay someone
> to haul away and decontaminate their waste water, these plants have a new profit center called fracking fluids.
Win-win all the way to the bank for the Halliburtons of this world ...
hunter
(38,317 posts)3. So we gave up on nuclear power for this???