In response to a January 21 Rolling Stone article on the health and environmental effects of oil and gas drilling wastewater, Earthworks' Research and Policy Analyst Melissa Troutman issued this statement--

“The oil and gas industry has contaminated communities across the country with its radioactive waste, and the Rolling Stone investigation sheds light into two new damning instances in which industry puts human life at risk.

“The oil and gas workers' cancer cases in Louisiana, which the Centers for Disease Control confirmed were caused by radioactivity on the job, are more than enough proof for elected officials to immediately remove special exemptions for oil and gas from hazardous waste laws across the U.S. 

“The major revelation that virtually every single oil and gas wastewater truck in the Marcellus and Utica shale basins is transporting potentially radioactive material through communities should be met with a halt to the transportation and disposal of wastewater to nonhazardous treatment facilities until it is proven nonhazardous.

“While many of the facts about the dangers of oil and gas waste have long been raised by advocates--Earthworks included--perhaps the radioactivity of this issue will compel elected officials to finally take the action necessary to ensure our communities’ safety.”

Click Here for a copy of the Rolling Stone article.

NewsClips:

See What You Missed Last Week: 350+ PA Environment & Energy NewsClips

Related Articles - Conventional Drilling:

195 Groups Oppose SB 790 Reducing Conventional Drilling Environmental Protections, House Set For Final Vote

PEC, EDF: Senate Bill 790 Includes Dramatic Reductions In Health, Environmental Protections From Impacts Of Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling

DEP Oil & Gas Program Reported 94 Violations At 168 Conventional Well Facilities During 1 Week In April

DEP: Conventional Oil & Gas Well Violations More Than Triple Between 2015-2017

Related Articles - Hazards Of Drilling Wastewater

You Are Looking At A Map Of Future Dumpsites For Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater If Road Dumping Is Approved By General Assembly

Earthworks’ New Report, Interactive Map Tracks Disposal Of 380 Million Barrels Of PA Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater, Including Road Dumping

New Study Tracks Liquid, Solid Waste From Conventional, Unconventional Oil & Gas Development In PA From Generation To Disposal

Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Has A Major Goal In 2019-- To Restore Program To Spread Waste Water From Wells On Roads

Penn State Study Recommends Only Using Nontoxic Products Or Highly Treated Drilling Wastewater To Remove Radium, Oil, Metals Before Road Spreading

Penn State: Potential Health Impacts Of Oil and Gas Wastewater On Roads

Oil & Gas Well Brines For Dust Control On Unpaved Roads - Part I- Ineffectiveness

Penn State Study: Using Oil & Gas Well Brine As Dust Suppressant Less Than Ideal

Op-Ed: Why Is the General Assembly About To Hurt Us By Authorizing Road Dumping Of Oil & Gas Wastewater?

Op-Ed: The Story Behind Stopping Conventional Oil & Gas Brine Spreading On Dirt Roads

Op-Ed: Will Our Dirt Roads Again Be Used As Dumping Sites For Oil & Gas Well Wastewater

Related Articles - Natural Gas:

Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Drops By $5,000/Unconventional Well For CY 2019 Saving Drillers $53.6 Million

EQB Approves Unconventional Oil & Gas Permit Fee Increase, Lower Sulfur Content Of Heating Oil Regulations

CFA Awards 4 Natural Gas Pipeline Service Extension Grants Totalling $2.3 Million In Chester, Monroe, Northampton Counties

PA Supreme Court Overturns Rule Of Capture Trespass Decision, But Allows Challenge Of Actual Trespass

PA, National Environmental Groups File Brief In Federal Court Challenging FERC Use Of Tolling Orders To Put Citizen Challenges To Actions In Legal Limbo

AG Shapiro Joins Other Attorneys General In Filing Brief Supporting Lancaster County Landowners In Challenge Of FERC Pipeline Tolling Order Process

[Posted: January 21, 2020]

1/27/2020