EPA Releases Final Report on Impacts from Hydraulic Fracturing Activities on Drinking Water
EPA Releases Final Report on Impacts from Hydraulic Fracturing Activities on Drinking Water
On December 13, 2016 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its scientific report on the impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities on drinking water. The EPA’s report concludes that hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources under some circumstances. As part of the report, EPA identified conditions under which impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities can be more frequent or severe. The report also identifies uncertainties and data gaps. These uncertainties and data gaps limited EPA’s ability to fully assess impacts to drinking water resources both locally and nationally.
The report is organized around activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle and their potential to impact drinking water resources. The stages include: (1) acquiring water to be used for hydraulic fracturing (Water Acquisition), (2) mixing the water with chemical additives to make hydraulic fracturing fluids (Chemical Mixing), (3) injecting hydraulic fracturing fluids into the production well to create and grow fractures in the targeted production zone (Well Injection), (4) collecting the wastewater that returns through the well after injection (Produced Water Handling), and (5) managing the wastewater through disposal or reuse methods (Wastewater Disposal and Reuse).
As part of the report, EPA identified certain conditions under which impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities can be more frequent or severe, including:
- Water withdrawals for hydraulic fracturing in times or areas of low water availability, particularly in areas with limited or declining groundwater resources;
- Spills during the management of hydraulic fracturing fluids and chemicals or produced water that result in large volumes or high concentrations of chemicals reaching groundwater resources;
- Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids into wells with inadequate mechanical integrity, allowing gases or liquids to move to groundwater resources;
- Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids directly into groundwater resources;
- Discharge of inadequately treated hydraulic fracturing wastewater to surface water resources; and
- Disposal or storage of hydraulic fracturing wastewater in unlined pits, resulting in contamination of groundwater resources.
Although the final report finds that hydraulic fracturing can cause harm to ground water under some circumstances, the lack of information precludes a definitive statement on how severe the risk is. The specific instances of harm cited in the final report can be attributed to wells with poor mechanical integrity and improper wastewater management. New wells that pass mechanical integrity testing are not among the concerns.
For a copy of the study, visit www.epa.gov/hfstudy.