On September 10, David Hill of Hill Drilling and Chair of DCED's PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council, wrote to DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell criticizing the agency for working with Penn State University on independent studies on the effectiveness and environmental impacts of the road dumping of drilling wastewater that the Council had been aware of since August of 2020.

At issue are two independent studies from Penn State University.

One study published in August by Penn State researchers found oil and gas drilling wastewater is far less effective than commercial products at suppressing dust on dirt and gravel roads, and is easily washed off roadways into nearby streams and fields and contains pollutants that can negatively affect human health, agriculture and aquatic life.  Read more here.

Dozens of references in this study point to the environmentally hazardous nature of conventional drilling wastewater when dumped on dirt and gravel roads.

Other recent research by Penn State and others has shown the road dumping of wastewater from oil and gas wells as a dust suppressant is not only NOT effective, but contaminates the roads and wash sediment and pollutants into nearby streams.

There has also been other independent research pointing to not only environmental but also health impacts from using oil and gas well wastewater for dust control.  Click Here for a summary.

These studies are not alone in being critical of road dumping drilling wastewater.

​​Experts from the Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies call the road dumping of oil and gas wastewater an “environmentally unsound practice” that can cause water pollution and even damage roads.  Read more here.

A second independent study from Penn State is due out in December on the environmental impact of road dumping of conventional drilling wastewater.  Read more here.

It is critical to understand road dumping of drilling wastewater is no trivial thing and is being allowed to happen all over the state by DEP through a self-certification process under regulations for waste co-product determinations.  Read more here.

​​From 1991 to 2017 over 240.4 million gallons of conventional drilling wastewater was dumped on dirt and gravel roads-- over 235.4 million gallons in Pennsylvania alone.  Read more here.

The PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council, whose job, by law [Act 52 of 2016], is to “recommend appropriate measures relating to the promotion and development of the conventional oil and gas industry of this Commonwealth,” said DEP failed to keep the Council apprised of DEP activities related to the studies.

The letter points to the fact the Council was only informed on August 6, 2020-- last year-- of the Penn State study which is due out this December.

“It was thus a surprise when William Henderson, who is a resource person for the CDAC Water Committee and an employee of the produced water treatment company GCI, reported at the August 6, 2020, CDAC meeting that he had become aware that a road spreading impact study—directly targeted to quantifying the nature of run­off water quality from roads treated with produced water, with an emphasis on radium—was underway by PSU under the direction of Dr. William Burgos.”

The Council “expressed its disappointment that it has not been asked to provide input into the study scope and agenda” of the study.

The letter also said the independent Penn State study released in August of this year would have “benefitted from CDAC’s participation.”

“The purpose of this letter is to formally remind DEP of its obligations under Act 52 to work with CDAC and inform CDAC of matters that pertain to the conventional oil and gas industry and operators in the state.”

“[W]e request that DEP require PSU [Penn State University] to provide presentations of these studies to CDAC so CDAC has an opportunity to discuss them with PSU.”

Click Here to find a copy of the CDAC letter to DEP.

The next scheduled meeting of the Crude Development Council is expected to be December 16.

For more information on Council activities, visit DCED’s PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council webpage.  Questions should be directed to Adam Walters at 717-214-6548 or send email to: adwalters@pa.gov.

Related Articles:

-- 17 Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Operators Under Review By DEP To Determine If They Comply With Program Allowing Road Dumping Of Drilling Wastewater

-- New Penn State Study Shows Road Dumping Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater Has Little Dust Suppression Benefit, Contains Pollutants Harmful To Human Health, Agriculture, Aquatic Life

-- DEP: Potential For Environmental Impacts From Spills Or Leaks Of Radioactive Oil & Gas Waste Materials Is Real; Health Dept. Not Aware Of All Chemicals In Oil & Gas Wastewater Making Risk Assessment Difficult

-- Penn State Center For Dirt & Gravel Road Studies: Road Dumping Of Oil & Gas Wastewater To Control Dust Is Environmentally Unsound Practice

-- 80 Organizations, 1,800+ Concerned Citizens To DEP: Ban Road Dumping Of Drilling Wastewater; Dept. Of Health Unaware Road Dumping Is Occurring

-- 65+ Groups Ask Biden Administration To Reclassify Oil & Gas Drilling Waste As 'Hazardous' To Prevent Road Dumping Of Wastewater And Other Practices

[Posted: October 16, 2021]

10/18/2021