On September 30, DEP told the Low-Level Waste Advisory Committee shale gas fracking operations in Pennsylvania sent nearly 236,000 cubic feet of radioactive TENORM waste to out-of-state low-level radioactive waste facilities for disposal, more volume than all the industries combined in the four-state Appalachian Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact.

The Appalachian LLRW Compact includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia.

Rich Janati, DEP Bureau of Radiation Protection, explained, “TENORM is mainly from fracking operations, a lot of it in Pennsylvania.  It contains radium with a 1,600 year half-life.”

In 2021, DEP reported 236,150 cubic feet of TENORM (Technically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material) was sent to LLRW facilities for disposal, while all other industries combined in the four state compact sent 46,546 cubic feet of traditionally defined low-level radioactive waste.

From 2016 to 2021, a total of 811,070 cubic feet of TENORM waste was sent to low-level radioactive facilities for disposal, while all the other industries combined in the four states sent 1,272,003 cubic feet of LLRW.

In terms of radioactivity, the TENORM waste represented just 3.74 Ci (curies), while the low-level radioactive waste shipped for disposal represented 1,682 Ci. 

More radioactivity is expected from the other sources because they include nuclear power plants.

Waste generators often send their waste to more environmentally secure facilities when they are concerned about the potential cleanup liability in less environmentally secure facilities.

Janati said the Appalachian Compact keeps track of TENORM waste for the purpose of reporting and recording of waste, even though it isn’t by definition low-level radioactive waste

The TENORM waste is going primarily to two facilities-- Waste Control Specialists in Texas and Energy Solutions in Utah which has a separate waste cell for TENORM, according to Janati.

 “[There’s] a lot of activity going on in the area of fracking operations, treatment of wastewater from fracking operations. So, the sludge that's generated as a result, is sent to Energy Solutions or WCS in Texas,” said Janati.

“We definitely should be concerned about TENORM, but relative to low-level waste, the radioactivity level is by far smaller. Volume is high. Activity is low,” said Janati.

Click Here for a copy of Janati’s presentation to the Committee.

Background

            In June, DEP released updated guidance for handling radioactive waste from unconventional shale gas drilling operations going to solid waste processing and disposal facilities, but it does not cover conventional facilities.  Read more here.

In addition to these requirements, DEP is also reviewing its policies for allowing the on-site disposal of radioactive and nonradioactive wastes where oil and gas well plugging will be done under the new federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law plugging program.  Read more here.

Currently, many conventional oil and gas drilling operations dispose of their waste, including drill cuttings which often meet the definition of TENORM waste, right on the drilling site.  Read more here.

A study released in May by Penn State found radiation levels of conventional oil and gas drilling wastewater disposed of by uncontrolled spreading on roads contained levels of radioactivity exceeding industrial radiation discharge standards.  Read more here.

The issue of fracking operations shipping TENORM waste out-of-state for disposal also came up in an October 2021 Senate hearing, where David Allard, then Director of DEP’s Bureau of Radiation Protection said, “But, the potential for environmental impact from spills or leaks of TENORM contaminated material is real. DEP will continue to closely monitor and evaluate landfill leachate for radium content above natural background levels to ensure public health and safety.”  Read more here.

Related Articles - TENORM:

-- DEP: Potential For Environmental Impacts From Spills Or Leaks Of Radioactive Oil & Gas Waste Materials Is Real  [PaEN]

-- New Penn State Study Finds Runoff From Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumped On Unpaved Roads Contains Pollutants That Exceed Human-Health, Environmental Standards  [PaEN]

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Reported Spreading 977,671 Gallons Of Untreated Drilling Wastewater On PA Roads In 2021  [PaEN]

-- Study: Industry Data Shows Hazardous Air Pollutants Are ‘Ubiquitous’ In The Natural Gas Transmission System; More Justification For Robust Leak Prevention Programs  [PaEN]

-- On-Site Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Waste Disposal Plans Making Hundreds Of Drilling Sites Waste Dumps  [PaEN]

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Dispose Of Drill Cuttings By ‘Dusting’ - Blowing Them On The Ground, And In The Air Around Drill Sites [PaEN]

-- DEP: Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Prompting Review Of On-Site Disposal Options For Oil & Gas Well Plugging Wastes; Radioactive Waste Disposal  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Wastes Generated By The New Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program Will NOT Be Exempt From Hazardous Waste Regulations, Unlike Wastes From Active Wells  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: DEP Needs To Evaluate Health Impacts Of Evaporating Leachate From A Westmoreland Landfill Accepting Shale Gas Drilling Waste  [PaEN]

PA Environment Digest:

-- Recent Articles Posted On Oil & Gas Drilling Impacts

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Adds Final-Omitted Reg. Limiting Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas Facilities To Oct. 12 EQB Agenda  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issued NOVs To Conventional Oil & Gas Companies For Abandoning 55 Wells Without Plugging Them During September Alone, A Dramatic Increase In New Well Abandonments  [PaEN]

-- DEP Collects $147,250 Penalty From Rice Drilling B LLC For Erosion & Sedimentation Violations In Greene County; DEP Found Rice Had Hundreds Of Other Violations, Including Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them  [PaEN]

-- Fall Visitors To Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Areas Urged To Report Illegal Road Dumping Of Drilling Wastewater  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Groups Raise Serious Compliance Issues With Olympus Energy-- Over 600 Violations On 13 DEP Permits-- In Comments On Proposed Shale Gas Drilling Pad In Allegheny County  [PaEN]

-- Washington County Community Meeting Updates Residents On PA Health & Environment Studies, Discusses Health Impacts Of Shale Gas Development  [PaEN]

-- Bills Establishing Incentives For Using Fossil-Fueled Vehicles Introduced In The House, Senate; Eliminates Support For Hybrid, Electric Vehicles  [PaEN]

-- DEP Public Notices -- Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities  [PaEN]

[Posted: October 4, 2022]

10/10/2022