DEP Weighs using mine water for fracking

republicanherald.com/news/dep-weighs-using-mine-water-for-fracking-1.1262321

BY ROBERT SWIFT (HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF rswift@timesshamrock.com)
Published: January 25, 2012

HARRISBURG – State environmental officials want to give Marcellus Shale drillers an incentive to use mine water in drilling operations by offering a quick response to proposals within 15 days.

The policy outlined at a public meeting Tuesday would couple the natural gas industry’s need for massive amounts of water in hydrofracking and the longstanding problem of cleaning up 5,000 miles of waterway in Pennsylvania impaired by acid mine drainage.

“This is a really good opportunity for the industry to get the water they need and address historic mine drainage problems,” said John Stefanko, a deputy secretary in the state Department of Environmental Protection.

He said a three-member mine water use review team would provide quick feedback on the types of permits needed and other issues to any water-use proposal submitted by a gas driller.

DEP is delving into a number of issues raised by the prospect of diverting a portion of an estimated 300 million gallons of acid mine drainage that flows each day from abandoned mines and flooded pits into rivers and streams for industry use.

This goal was endorsed by the Governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission last summer. DEP plans to issue a position paper on the topic next month after getting more public comment.

The paper will outline what policies and regulations should be adopted for treatment of mine water if needed, transport of water by truck or pipeline to drilling sites and storage before used in fracking operations.

The paper will also tackle environmental liability issues and whether DEP can play a role pairing drilling companies seeking water with companies selling minewater and local watershed groups working on stream restoration projects.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission plans to consider a policy encouraging mine water use when it meets next month, said executive director Paul Swartz.