Oil and Gas Rich Wyoming Approves Frac’ing Rules — Will Colorado Be Next?
photo: Irvine Energy PLC
By Ann Rascalli
In a move that could ultimately reverberate in Colorado, Wyoming state regulators unanimously approved new rules Tuesday requiring oil and gas companies to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing (frac’ing), despite intense industry opposition.
Frac’ing has been used for years to crack gas-bearing rock formations deep underground to stimulate natural gas production, particularly for hard-to-reach shale gas formations.
Environmental and public health advocates hailed the passage of the new reporting rules as a victory of public safety over corporate secrecy.
Advocates for more stringent public disclosure of frac’ing fluids believe the process poses an environmental problem because the chemicals can leak into water sources underground, and the chemicals could spill during handling on the surface.
“This ruling was the right thing to do. One look at the Gulf of Mexico is proof that things don’t always turn out the way drilling companies expect,” Western Resource Advocates staff attorney Dan Heilig said in a prepared statement.
The oil and gas industry likes to point out that not a single water contamination incident caused by frac’ing has been proven, and their track record with the process is very good. But environmentalists counter that lax reporting requirements prevent the public from knowing whether frac’ing contaminated drinking water sources.
The industry is also concerned about having to disclose the proprietary chemical mixtures used in frac’ing.
To that end, the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission adopted language in the new rules that would require state regulators not to share certain information with the public if a company can prove it is proprietary.
“They will have to go out of their way to say, ‘We want you to hold this information as confidential,’” Oil and Gas Commission Supervisor Tom Doll said. He also noted the WOGCC agrees to keep any information confidential, the staff will have the information so it can carry out the agency’s charter to protect groundwater and drinking water supplies.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a member of the oil and gas conservation commission, directed the agency to draft the new rules so the state could assure federal regulators that it, and not Washington D.C., should maintain regulatory control over frac’ing.
Earlier this year, we reported that the Environmental Protection Agency began a new two-year research effort to investigate the potential adverse impacts of hydraulic fracturing on water quality and public health.
A “good step forward” is how Steve Jones of the Wyoming Outdoor Council labeled the commission’s vote.
“This was an important decision,” Jones said in a prepared statement. “I think we’d all like the state to be able to work proactively to protect workers and residents. These rules, if stringently applied, should help regulators do a better job of protecting rivers and streams and underground aquifers from contamination.”
Filed Under: ARCHIVES • Feature Articles • POLICYWATCH • Western Slope
Tags: COGCC • hydraulic fracturing
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Comment by Paul Power on 15 June 2010:
Oil and gas bring in lots of money to the state of Wyoming.And many jobs are in place because of oil and the companys that choose to drill there.I think the new rules of disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing are not very smart for WOGCC to impose.These chemicals are needed to get the job done!! There has never been a problem ever proven with chemical in water contamination through hydraulic fracturing.By imposing a rule on what if,only hurts the state of Wyoming.So oil companies that choose to drill in wyoming will go west into the hot spot of Weld county Colorado were the state of colorado will get the funds wyoming wont.Great job WOGCC!!! For running out oil companies that fund your state!!! I noticed also that Colorado may also have the same type of rule going about soon.If it passes?what a mistake..I just hope Colorado does not make the same mistake as Wyoming.Land based drilling also in Coloado has been going on for years.They prove year after year that what they do is safe and a big Win Win for the state including the people that work and live there.So Colorado?If it works?Leave it alone, please!! Thanks, Paul Power
Comment by Paul Power on 21 June 2010:
Fire water? What is this, fire from your tap? Just another person looking for fame in such a dumb way! HBO why would you take off on a story about this? I thought the finger in the chili bit some years ago was much better of a story! You should over done a story about that one to! There is know way fire would be blasting through your tap.If that were the case everyone that has public water works would be going through the same thing.If this person has a private well water,then you may be pumping your water from a natural gas well.But i dont think so! This whole story is a bunch of BS!The average person out there may believe such a story because they have no clue about how oil & gas work.With everything thats going on in the gulf with BPs well, we now have some dummy adding fuel to the fire for their own glory seeking bull! I hope this guy gets sued for the bad press he has started! Im sure this person has a propane tank tapped into his water pipe leading to his sink to put on his show for everyone! Paul Power
Comment by James Wilson on 22 July 2010:
So Paul, you really feel confident about fracturing deep below the surface of the earth, where we can’t see, can’t really monitor and use toxic chemicals for this process? (Are you going to tell me that these chemicals aren’t toxic? Drink some Paul, take a big gulp..) How can you be so sure that these fracture lines won’t create seep points in the water aquafirs? It’s already happened in CO (The only reason it can’t be proven is, like I said, ya can’t see what’s going on down there.) Here’s an article from out in PA recently. http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/06/fracking-in-pennsylvania-201006 The theory of aquafirs being compromised by this process makes sense. There is no way the drills can control how far the fracture lines run due to irregularities in the rock underground. Are you really ready to compromise one of our most basics necessary resources on earth for another couple of years of work? You can’t drink oil and chemicals. James Wilson
Comment by Jumbo on 31 December 2011:
James a lot of what you said is totally wrong. Microseismic fracture monitoring is a common and effective technique to determine the extent of fractures. Also, you can see if ground water is contaminated… Just take a sample an test for the chemicals its common sense man. And gas chromatography will tell if gas leaks from the formation into to water table. Also, if you don’t want to look like a retard, never relate frac to drilling. They’re two separate things. The drilling rig is long gone frac is a production enhancement technique.