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EPA Announces
“Eyes on Drilling” Tipline
PHILADELPHIA (January 26, 2010) – The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency today announced the creation of the “Eyes on Drilling” tipline
for citizens to report non-emergency suspicious activity related to oil and
natural gas development.
The
agency is asking citizens to call 1-877-919-4EPA (toll free) if they observe
what appears to be illegal disposal of wastes or other suspicious activity.
Anyone may also send reports by email to eyesondrilling@epa.gov. Citizens may provide tips anonymously if
they don’t want to identify themselves.
In the event of an emergency, such as a
spill or release of hazardous material, including oil, to the environment,
citizens are advised to call the National Response Center
Public concern about the environmental
impacts of oil and natural gas drilling has increased in recent months,
particularly regarding development of the Marcellus Shale formation where a
significant amount of activity is occurring. While EPA doesn’t grant permits for
oil and gas drilling operations, there are EPA regulations which may apply to
the storage of petroleum products and drilling fluids. The agency is also very
concerned about the proper disposal of waste products, and protecting air and
water resources.
EPA wants to get a better understanding of
what people are experiencing and observing as a result of these drilling
activities. The information collected may also be useful in investigating
industry practices.
The
agency works closely
with state and local officials, as well as industry and public interest groups,
to ensure that oil and natural gas drilling occurs in a manner which is
protective of human health and the environment and complies with applicable
laws. The agency is also counting on
concerned citizens to report unusual or suspicious activity related to drilling
operations.
EPA is asking citizens to report the
location, time and date of such activity, as well as the materials, equipment
and vehicles involved and any observable environmental impacts.
The Marcellus Shale geologic formation
contains one of the largest mostly untapped reserves of natural gas in the
United
States Pennsylvania , West
Virginia , Ohio , and New York , and smaller portions of Tennessee , Virginia ,
Maryland , and Kentucky
Interest in developing
Marcellus Shale has increased
because recent
improvements in natural gas extraction technology and higher energy prices now make recovering the
gas more
profitable.
Operators produce this gas through a process
called hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Fracking requires drilling a well thousands of
feet below the land’s surface and pumping down the well under pressure millions
of gallons of water, sand, and chemicals to fracture the shale.
The process allows the gas trapped in the
formation to flow to the well bore. Approximately 20 to 30 percent of the fluid
flows back to the surface. This “flowback” fluid consists of fracking fluid and
brines which contain dissolved minerals from the formation.
Operators are urged to recycle their
flowback water for reuse in the fracking process, but some of the flowback is
taken offsite for disposal. Chemicals
used in the process are often stored on-site. Spills can occur when utilizing
these chemicals or when transporting or storing wastewater, which can result in
the contamination of surface water or ground water, which is used for many
purposes including drinking water.
Instructions for the tipline can be found
at:
