ODOT Document About De-Icing Roads and Brine Use

I'm popping back in today in the interest of fairness to share a link to Ohio Department of Transportation's (ODOT's) document about de-icing the roads. When I found it, I was researching, attempting to find out just how much the state of Ohio spends annually on brine to dump on the roads after reviewing the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) documents about dumping oilfield completion brine and natural gas fracking brine on roadways. (Sorry about that long sentence.)

The ODOT document in question, while it does not specifically state what makes up the brine, states that all brine is made "in-house". So, depending on the breadth of the state's definition of "in-house" it leaves a lot open.

I found it interesting that two other government agencies state that it is drilling/fracking brine while the Ohio Department of Transportation offers that it is something they make. One question this raises: Does that mean the state starts with fracking brine and adds more chemicals before adding it to the road?

So, this post doesn't give any answers, it just raises more questions... and shares a link to an interesting document.

Update on Fracking Brine Dumping on Ohio Roadways

Updated January 21, 2011

Since strict environmental laws say dumping hazardous waste anywhere it can get into our water systems and soil is forbidden, why are some states dumping it on the roadways to keep down ice and dust - depending upon the season in question? This recently updated  Ohio Environmental Protection Agency document, Drilling for Natural Gas in the Marcellus and Utica Shales: Environmental Regulatory Basics, outlines in very specific language that this is being done in Ohio. 

The original document (circa 1983/Ohio Department of Natural Resources) outlining procedures for roadway/oilfield completion fluid dumping, implied that only oilfield completion fluids would be dumped, and then listed a few, somewhat unrealistic measures that are in place to keep the brine out of waterways, yards, and fields. (I mean, if it runs off the road and into the ditch, it is going to flow right along with the rest of the runoff water when the snow melts or when it rains. It's water, it isn't going to separate the toxins out of itself just because someone wants us to believe it will.) According to the newly released (July 2011 OEPA document, it is no longer oilfield completion fluid - ever.


Add dumping brine into old injection wells, and it's really a wonder it's still safe to drink the water. Or is it still safe? That's not for me to decide, I'm just here to share the information I find. I'm not against fracking, I don't hate energy companies, I just think it is the height of irresponsible behavior for businesses, and for state officials charged with the responsibility to protect the interests of citizens, to proceed with something so hazardous without a realistic plan in place for protecting the environment. 

Is Your Water on Fire?

Author: Keep It Green Ideas

The USGS says on its website that although three-quarters of the earth's surface is covered by water, only about 2% of it is drinkable. That is pretty sad and it should help us to understand why water is so precious of a resource. Unfortunately, we waste our water all the time.

Why is it that some people have reported their water actually burns and how is that possible? One of the main causes of this is the recent practice of Fracking. This is a process of using water pressure to break up rock deep in the ground to get at the gas reserves there. Abrahm Lustgarten writes in the online journal ProPublica (May 9, 2011) that Duke University reports "flammable methane gas in drinking water wells" in Pennsylvania and other states. Yes, people have said they can light the water coming out of their faucets. The August 2011 issue of Readers Digest has a story that is a personal account of this issue.

You may say that your water is not on fire so why should you care? The real issues is what we are doing to our water in general. We have runoff from yards and farms, chemical spills, and all types of issues. Some of our problems are from the earth's natural processes and others are manmade. The Readers Digest issue mentioned before also reports that our water has in it: rocket fuel, pesticides, antibiotics, and the list goes on.

To be fair, some of these elements are so minute that scientists have only recently recorded them. Long term, if we don't take care of our water we won't even have 2% to drink.

What can you really do about all of this? First, write your local, state, and federal representatives and let them know how important this is. They are listening to the big corporations who say this is no big deal. They may ask about water like the one Lee Iaccoca did about clean air, "How much clean air do we need?" Second, pay attention to how you use water.

If you are not drinking your tap water, why aren't you? Don't like the taste, don't trust the pipes, or don't really know what is in your water? One good answer for the average person is to filter their water. That was one of the conclusions in the Readers Digest article. The average pitcher with a filter will do a great job for most drinking situations. Drop the plastic bottle habit and get a reusable bottle.

If you want clean more water, get an under the counter water filter. If you want to clean all of your water then you will need something like a reverse osmosis system. There will be more details about some of these ideas in future articles but see the links below for more information.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/is-your-water-on-fire-5051112.html


About the Author

Keep It Green Ideas is a Web site dedicated to helping people find everyday solutions to their efforts to be green. For information about bottled water go to Bottled Water Article and for information on clean water go to Clean Water.

Frac Truck: The Natural Gas Clean Up

This article offers some information on identifying a frac truck, and ends mentioning the EPA hotline for reporting illegal, or suspected illegal, dumping. The toll-free number for reporting dumping is 1-877-919-4372, or you can use the email address set up by the EPA for easy reporting, eyesondrilling@epa.gov.

Author: CentralTruckSales

Ok so now that we know about the process of utilizing up to 65 million gallons of potentially toxic water, and how important it is to transport it safely, the next item to cover is the cleanup. Spills and overflows will inevitably create the need to clean up transport and frac areas. To best clean up and keep control over the hydraulic fracturing process, Frac Trucks are used to haul frac sand or cement for gas well casings. Whatever the name or use of these various trucks, they usually catch your attention when they are parked roadside or travelling down the highway as oversize loads.

Frac trucks for sale usually sport all kinds of weird plumbing, pipes and gauges not seen in everyday life. Some frac trucks for sale carry containers of frac fluids or other devices that you never saw anything quite like before as equipment used for installing and fracking Marcellus Shale gas wells is a generally new business and has a clear experimental side to it.

Usually the frac truck has a vacuum system that is installed in a particular frack truck for sale designed to perform the clean up work quickly and efficiently. Manufacturers intentionally place certain limits or specifications on the pump system for future monitoring so that the pump system will function at normal capacity while in operation. 
There are two types of vacuum pump systems that are commonly used in frac process: the liquid ring and the rotary vane versions. The best vacuum pump for a truck is dependent upon the business needs for which it will be used. The liquid ring versions are now more popular in the industry because they are oil-free, not noisy, and more proficient in accomplishing the necessary task. The pump system for the liquid ring is more intricate and also has a need for more area and water for proper fracturing.

It is often difficult to tell if frac trucks are pumping water out of waterways or dumping drilling wastewater, since they haul both fresh water and wastewater. Illegal dumping of wastewater may be evidenced by country roads being wet when it hasn't rained. This sort of dumping often occurs under the cover of darkness. If in doubt, call the EPA Hotline.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/trucks-articles/frac-truck-the-natural-gas-clean-up-4975559.html


About the Author

Alex Rood is an expert in quality used commercial trucks.  If you are interested in learning more, please contact us by visiting our main site:  http://www.centraltrucksales.net.

Sand Control: Gravel Packing and Frac-Packing (Spe Reprint Series)

Leakoff and net pressure for the frac & pack stimulation of gas wells: Topical report

Introducing the Frac Truck

While this frac article is not Ohio-centric, these are the trucks used to bring contaminated brine to Ohio. Ohioans should be aware that this article describes the quantity of contaminated fracking brine water drillers are bringing to Ohio to dump into abandoned oil wells in agricultural communities. (The quantities are highlighted in yellow below if you are searching for raw data.)

Author: CentralTruckSales

Demand for frac tanks is growing and we believe that a major reason for the increase is the service that comes along with a boom in the demand and desire for exploring the natural gas reserves in the Marcellus Shale. In order to crack the Marcellus Shale, over one mile beneath Pennsylvania and other parts of our Appalachian region, that is so abundant in gas and natural gas liquids, drilling companies use a method called hydraulic fracturing.

Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", are terms used to describe the process used to "frac" Marcellus Shale gas wells. To release methane from the shale, high pressure is used to crack the shale formation. While there are alternatives to water for fracking gas wells, such as nitrogen, production companies prefer to use water, since significantly higher hydraulic pressures can be created and it is a generally less expensive process. Some reports indicate these pressures can reach as high as 10,000 to 15,000 pounds per square inch.

Each Marcellus well frack job calls for 3 to 8 million gallons of water or recycled wastewater. With that much waste water, the frac trucks for sale chosen to move that wastewater becomes a very intricate decision process. But get this, since many of the latest well pads have 8 wells, that brings the total requirement up to 24 to 64 million gallons for one well pad. Imagine how many frac trucks and vacuum trucks are needed to move 64 million gallons of water. Wow.

These huge volumes of water are one of the reasons that vacuum trucks and temporary pipelines have become common sights around the Marcellus Shale regions over the past several years. These frac trucks for sale carry approximately 4,000 gallons each and are often marked with "Residual Waste" for the drilling wastewater they haul that comes back out of a Marcellus well following fracking. This wastewater can easily be 5-times saltier than ocean water, while also containing toxic volatile organic compounds and fracking chemicals. These frac trucks must be large, powerful, and most importantly, safe so that the transported hazardous material is properly removed and disposed of in its entirety.

Environmental Protection Departments in the region will require that drilling companies obtain approved Water Management Plans. 29 Marcellus Shale drilling companies in the 10-county area making up the SW Region of Pennsylvania, have approved water management plans for withdrawals totaling 48.5 million gallons of water through mid-2014. While drillers are exempt from many environmental laws, they must comply with the Clean Streams Law. These laws and the regulations that drillers will be given for the clean up process will drive the growth and need for frac trucks for years to come, if natural gas becomes this country's next great hope for energy.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/trucks-articles/introducing-the-frac-truck-4975549.html


About the Author

Alex Rood is an expert in quality used commercial trucks. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us by visiting our main site: http://www.centraltrucksales.net.

Oil landman training document?... "The memo gives instructions to ignore the dangers of groundwater contamination and property devaluation, downplay the controversial natural gas drilling and to describe the drilling process as "radioactive free" — despite the fact that the memo acknowledges that is a lie." (Quoted from Raw Story)

Link to original article about the document.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Recommendations for Well Water Testing Before Gas and Oil Drilling

I apologize for this post's long title. I couldn't decide which part should be left out to make it shorter.

ODNR has released information for concerned Ohio residents regarding the proper procedure for testing well water.

Basically, they ask residents to foot the bill to have their water tested before drilling begins (if they are lucky enough to have advance notice of drilling or fracking brine dumping in their area), only by OEPA certified water testing labs the ODNR approves, and then pay again after drilling or dumping to have that same lab test the well water again.

Here is why it has to be labs they specify (direct quote from ODNR document)... "Samples should be submitted to an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) certified drinking water laboratory. The laboratory should be certified for each chemical parameter to be tested. Without attention to these details, water analyses will be of little or no value in an oil and gas water contamination investigation or a legal proceeding."

I'm not arguing the wisdom of having your water tested before and after drilling or dumping, assuming you are forewarned. I just think it's a little disappointing that the very agencies charged with protecting the public good are telling residents not only, that they are on their own as far as water testing, but also if the residents don't send their cash to the lab the governmental agencies choose they will have very little legal recourse after their water has been contaminated.

Anyway, I invite you to check out the document, and, if your interpretation of the document varies from my own interpretation, you are welcome to stop back and leave a comment voicing your thoughts on the document, or anything about this topic.