[Green] Deep Rock Deep Background

[Vic Elam]

George,

Thank you for this detailed analysis and for your persistence toward
finding truth and seeking environmental justice.

Vic

On Tue, Sep 15, 2020 at 1:07 PM gbanz42--- via Green <green at fuusm.org>
wrote:

> 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
>
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>
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