[Green] Deep Rock Deep Background

[gbanz42 at suddenlink.net]

Green Sanctuary Committee:

    A lot has happened with our organized opposition to the application from Deep Rock Disposal to he USACE., especially since statewide and regional groups, like Sierra Club, and even independent oil& gas producers (would you believe?). There was a "people's hearing" by these groups held on August 27. Someone from Sierra Club is hand-delivering the transcript from this meeting to the USACE. I did participate in that meeting. 

    
     I have prepared the summary of how fracking waste is produced, transported, 
and injecting into the ground. I am not a petroleum engineer--but I did stay at  
a Holiday Inn last night!!.  :-) 
 
    Seriously, it has been my observation that fossil-fuel lobbyists and public 
officials, whose ears they have, portray environmentalists as naive, uniformed, 
and misinformed on issues related to the scientific and engineering aspects of 
hydraulic fracturing (we should initially refer to the process with these words 
rather than "fracking"). With that in mind I have prepared the summary below for 
the edification of all those involved with the Deep Rock issue.  I think that we 
should all know as much as we can about this whole process while we are engaged 
in opposing what companies like Deep Rock are doing. 
 
     
    I have consulted with two petroleum engineers in preparing this summary. 
There may be a few mistakes in my summary, but I think for the most part it is 
pretty accurate although my opinions peak through in some cases. If some people 
are already aware of these facts, I apologize for the redundancy. 
 
    Please forward this entire message to the mailing list you have --many 
thanks. 
 
    The Journey of Fluids (Waste) from Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) 
 
1. Hydraulic Fracturing Process. In the fracking process vertical wells are 
drilled 5,000-8,000 feet below the surface of the earth from drilling pads on 
the surface.  Perforated piping is then run horizontally in 200-foot sections 
into geological formations that contain oil and/or gas. A water mixture (up to 
one million gallons per well) is then pushed through the piping, which is 
encased in cement material.  This mixture is over 90% water but it also contains 
sand, acid, and other chemicals, some of which  are considered toxic under other 
circumstances (disposal companies are not obliged by law to reveal  this mixture 
of chemicals, even though at  about one per cent of the mixture of one million 
gallons they do not amount to teaspoon quantities).  Some of this fracking waste 
is radioactive. As the mixture passes through the perforations, it fractures the 
rock and releases the oil or gas. When the mixture of oil/gas and water comes to 
surface, it is placed into separation tanks. The water mixture goes to the 
bottom of the tank, and oil and gas (in somewhat different ways) go to the 
surface. The fracking fluids are then transported to injection wells. 
 
2. Transportation. In southeastern Ohio fracking waste is transported in trucks 
on state highways and local roads. Deep Rock Disposal asserts that transport by 
barge would be better for the environment and safer than truck transport.. They 
have not yet responded to the question whether the total amount of fracking 
waste will be greater if their application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
for the re-purposed barge off-load facility is approved—that is, will truck 
transport be completed eliminated if they start transporting by barge? It should 
be pointed out that barge transport of fracking waste from Ohio, Pennsylvania, 
and West Virginia will be traveling by barge on the Ohio River. Ohio receives 
$.05/barrel of fracking waste from OH and $.25/barrel for waste from WV and PA. 
In 2019 Ohio received 2.5 million barrels of fracking waste. Some think that 
this is an under-estimate. Washington County leads the state in fracking waste 
disposal sites with 15. Although barges with the fracking waste will be 
transported on the Ohio River, which is situated in WV (up to the bank on the OH 
side), neither the U.S. Coast Guard nor any agency in WV has reviewed the Deep 
Rock application. There are many other questions about  the Deep Rock 
application which have been posed to  the USACE at their August 7 virtual public 
meeting and at the Peoples Hearing, sponsored by the Sierra Club and several 
other organizations. In order to receive USACE responses and Deep Rock responses 
to the many questions posed by those interested in this issue, I had to submit a 
request through the Freedom of Information Act. I have requested through the 
FOIA the USACE responses to the questions raised at the August 7 meeting, but at 
this writing I have not yet received them. 
 
3. Injection Wells. .Once fracking waste is received at the injection well 
sites, it is injected into wells to a depth of about 3,000 feet. Injection wells 
are prohibited from injecting into geological formations with oil & gas reserves 
and in close proximity to oil & gas-producing wells. Questions have been raised 
about whether the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which is responsible for 
issuing permits for injecting fracking waste, closely monitors these rules. As 
is the situation for hydraulic fracturing, injection well pipes are encased to 
prevent leakage and fractures of the piping. Water aquifers are usually located 
200-300 feet below the surface. Under ideal circumstances fracking waste should 
not be seeping into water aquifers or into oil & gas reserves. However, some 
independent oil & gas producers are reporting that fracking waste is  coming out 
of their producing wells and destroying them for oil & gas production. These 
producers have raised this concern to at least one state legislator who has been 
in contact with ODNR. On September 4, 2020 ODNR announced that they will be 
conducting an investigation into whether fracking waste is entering water 
aquifers. It is unlikely that any evidence will be found of fracking waste in 
the aquifers of the region at this time, but given the shear amount of fracking 
waste being injected into the ground in this region and the questions about ODNR 
oversight of rules governing injection of fracking waste, such contamination is 
possible. These local oil & gas producers are involved in some legal action i
--
George Banziger
202 Lawton Road
Marietta, OH 45750-1111
740-434-5685
cell: 740-434-3354