Posts Tagged ‘ground water protection’

Ground Water Protection Council and Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission unveil the nation’s first single-source website disclosing additives on a well-by-well basis.

Press Release 4/11/11 -The Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), with funding support from the United States Department of Energy (DOE), unveiled a landmark web-based national registry disclosing the chemical additives used in the hydraulic fracturing process on a well-by-well basis. The information on the website covers wells drilled starting in 2011. The initiative provides energy companies involved in oil and gas exploration and production a single-source means to publically disclose the chemical additives used in the hydraulic fracturing process.

The new website, www.FracFocus.org, features an easy-to-use interface that gives the public and regulators access to comprehensive information about hydraulically-fractured wells nationwide. Searchable fields allow users to identify wells by location, operator, state and county, as well as a standard well identification number, known as an API number. The site also contains general information on the hydraulic fracturing process, water protection programs, descriptions of the chemicals used and their function in the process, and the Chemical Abstract Services registry number of each additive. A “Frequently Asked Questions” section is also included. The site also features information on private water wells, outlining steps landowners can take to learn more about operating and maintaining their water wells.

Participating energy companies voluntarily upload information about the chemical additives and the proportion used in each hydraulic fracturing job using a standard template. As of the launch, 24 energy companies are participating in the www.FracFocus.org project. In addition, several state regulators are actively encouraging energy companies to disclose information through the national chemical registry.

“For the past six months, our two organizations have been working together to build this first-of-its-kind web-based national chemical registry,” said Mike Paque, executive director of the GWPC. “As more and more questions were asked about the hydraulic fracturing process the past couple of years – particularly relating to chemical additives used in the process – we recognized an obstacle to greater disclosure was the lack of a uniform and efficient way to collect, report, and ensure public access. Information about additives used in the process was widely distributed, but difficult to access.”

“States have regulated the hydraulic fracturing process for more than half a century,” said Mike Smith, executive director of the IOGCC. “Until now, regulators and the public had no single site where they could easily access useful information on hydraulic fracturing and the additives used in the process. That said, the website will be a useful new tool to help the public learn about the hydraulic fracturing process. Our organizations have a responsibility to keep the public informed. We see this site as a step forward, and we expect it will evolve even more in the future.”

Posted at: Pioga.org

Canonsburg, Pa. – After months of collaborative efforts led by the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC),  www.FracFocus.org officially launched yesterday. The site, funded in part by the U.S. Dept. of Energy, will disclose the additives used in the hydraulic fracturing process on a well-by-well basis. These additives typically make of less than 0.5 percent of the fluids used in the process – the remaining 99.5 percent is made up of water and sand.

“As underscored in our Guiding Principles, our industry is continuously working to improve best practices while seeking transparency across all of our operations. This new site is a critical tool, and represents a positive step toward further heightening transparency,” said Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition. “This online database should also bring closure to the question of what and how many additives are used in the fracturing process, a tightly-regulated 60 year old technology that’s been safely used more than 1.1 million times across the nation without ever impacting groundwater.”

In a release, GWPC executive director Mike Paque said: “For the past six months, our two organizations have been working together to build this first-of-its-kind web-based national chemical registry. As more and more questions were asked about the hydraulic fracturing process the past couple of years – particularly relating to chemical additives used in the process – we recognized an obstacle to greater disclosure was the lack of a uniform and efficient way to collect, report, and ensure public access. Information about additives used in the process was widely distributed, but difficult to access.”

MORE INFO:
·         PA DEP Fact Sheet: Chemicals Used by Hydraulic Fracturing Companies in
Pennsylvania
·         PA DEP Fact Sheet:
o    Can drilling companies keep the names of chemicals used at drilling sites a secret?
o    No. Drilling companies must disclose the names of all chemicals to be stored and used at
a drilling site in the Pollution Prevention and Contingency Plan that must be submitted to
DEP as part of the permit application process.