{"id":13386,"date":"2016-06-17T09:13:31","date_gmt":"2016-06-17T13:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=13386"},"modified":"2017-07-21T11:56:40","modified_gmt":"2017-07-21T15:56:40","slug":"new-epa-rule-keeps-oil-gas-wastewater-out-of-local-treatment-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2016\/06\/17\/new-epa-rule-keeps-oil-gas-wastewater-out-of-local-treatment-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"New EPA Rule Keeps Oil & Gas Wastewater out of Local Treatment Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TwoKidsDrinkFtn_42-19758561_Corbis_4C-CC_RF\"If you like clean water, we\u2019ve got good news. This week the EPA finalized an important Clean Water Act rule that cements commonsense protections for water resources. EPA\u2019s new technology-based categorical pretreatment standard<\/a> prevents unconventional oil and gas operators from delivering salty, toxic wastewater to publicly owned water treatment facilities — also known as POTWs. These facilities are designed to handle residential sewage, not industrial waste, and often are unable to treat the types of pollutants common in unconventional oil and gas wastewater.<\/p>\n

Since 1979, the Clean Water Act has prohibited onshore oil and gas operators in the eastern U.S. from directly discharging oil and gas wastewater to surface waters, like streams and lakes. But until now, there were no rules that applied to the wastewater that is disposed of at separate treatment facilities, or \u201cindirect discharges.\u201d<\/p>\n

The final POTW pretreatment rule is consistent with current industry practice, but this wasn\u2019t always the case. Prior to 2011, oil and gas operators in Pennsylvania delivered wastewater to POTWs for treatment and disposal with terrible results. These POTWs struggled to treat unconventional oil and gas wastewater due to elevated levels of halides, heavy metals, organic compounds, radionuclides and salts. High and fluctuating TDS (salt) levels in wastewater interfered with the biological treatment processes reducing treatment efficiency. Bromides that went through POTW disinfection processes were transformed into toxic disinfection by-products and released into receiving waters.<\/p>\n

In April, 2011, Pennsylvania\u2019s Department of Environmental Protection asked operators to voluntarily stop wastewater deliveries to POTWs, and shortly after, EPA began gathering information about the indirect discharge to make this voluntary action mandatory. Research conducted during and after the period confirms that POTWs and unconventional oil and gas wastewater aren\u2019t a good match.<\/p>\n

While this rule is certainly a big step in the right direction, it doesn\u2019t protect communities from other potentially harmful wastewater discharges.<\/p>\n