Commission requires gas drillers to obtain approval for water use
CHENANGO COUNTY – The Susquehanna River Basin Commission announced last week that as of Oct. 15, natural gas companies will be required to obtain prior approval before using water for drilling purposes.
The Susquehanna River Basin covers territories in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The agency was set up to “enhance public welfare through comprehensive planning, water supply allocation, and management of the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin,” according to its mission statement.
Prior to the announcement last week, SRBC regulations required prior approval of water withdrawn from the river basin area if it exceeded 100,000 gallons a day, or 25,000 gallons a day for consumptive use.
“This is the first time the executive director has ever imposed such a regulation on an entire class of projects,” said SRBC Director of Communications Susan Obleski. Executive Director Paul Swartz is authorized to add the additional provisions because of the possibility the gas drilling could have an “adverse, cumulative adverse or interstate effect” on water resources, Obleski explained.
The commission was concerned that the amount of water used in the gas drilling could possibly lower the groundwater or stream flows, affect other water uses, affect fish, wildlife or other living resources or their habitat and affect low flow of perennial or intermittent streams.
While the new regulations will require the gas companies to go through more steps, Obleski said the SRBC is also working to help the companies by considering rule making that would allow the industry to use alternative water sources. Current guidelines only apply to water from a public water supply system. However, the SRBC is contemplating a rule change that would allow gas companies to use wastewater and other sources as well.
“We appreciate the purpose behind the provisions made by the SRBC, and we can work with what they’ve proposed,” said Dennis Holbrook, a representative from the gas drilling company Nornew, Inc. “We want to be a good neighbor. It’s also important to recognize that this is an additional regulatory hurdle to overcome in order to get the wells drilled in a timely fashion.”
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is also in the process or revising the permitting process for drilling. “There are several layers of regulatory approval,” Holbrook said.
According to Holbrook, the water regulation will primarily effect horizontal drilling, something he said, is not occurring yet in New York State. The Nornew representative explained that horizontal drilling is the best way to access the Marcellus Shale thought to exist in the New York region.
Holbrook added that while he appreciated the actions the SRBC was taking to help the gas companies find other water sources, Nornew would primarily be working with municipal water suppliers. “If we can arrange for municipal water, it’s advantageous to everyone. The municipality gets to sell water and bring in additional revenue, and we have a clear understanding of what’s available upfront,” Holbrook said. He added that other avenues will be looked at as the options are available, but he predicts Nornew will use municipal water where possible.
Holbrook said the amount of water used for the horizontal drilling may seem like a lot, but he believes it is just a drop in the bucket. “On average, it takes 80,000 gallons for the typical process. That’s like filling four in-ground swimming pools.” On average, the river dumps an average of 18 million gallons of water into the bay every minute.
Obleski explained that while the SRBC regulates water usage, they do not monitor water quality. “We know what chemicals are being used in the process, but we have no regulatory approval of the water quality,” Obleski explained. While the agency cannot regulate water quality, they have added a stipulation to their water provisions stating that companies must abide by DEC water quality agreements. If those agreements are not met, the company may not receive permission to use the quantity of water needed in the drilling process.
The Susquehanna River Basin covers territories in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The agency was set up to “enhance public welfare through comprehensive planning, water supply allocation, and management of the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin,” according to its mission statement.
Prior to the announcement last week, SRBC regulations required prior approval of water withdrawn from the river basin area if it exceeded 100,000 gallons a day, or 25,000 gallons a day for consumptive use.
“This is the first time the executive director has ever imposed such a regulation on an entire class of projects,” said SRBC Director of Communications Susan Obleski. Executive Director Paul Swartz is authorized to add the additional provisions because of the possibility the gas drilling could have an “adverse, cumulative adverse or interstate effect” on water resources, Obleski explained.
The commission was concerned that the amount of water used in the gas drilling could possibly lower the groundwater or stream flows, affect other water uses, affect fish, wildlife or other living resources or their habitat and affect low flow of perennial or intermittent streams.
While the new regulations will require the gas companies to go through more steps, Obleski said the SRBC is also working to help the companies by considering rule making that would allow the industry to use alternative water sources. Current guidelines only apply to water from a public water supply system. However, the SRBC is contemplating a rule change that would allow gas companies to use wastewater and other sources as well.
“We appreciate the purpose behind the provisions made by the SRBC, and we can work with what they’ve proposed,” said Dennis Holbrook, a representative from the gas drilling company Nornew, Inc. “We want to be a good neighbor. It’s also important to recognize that this is an additional regulatory hurdle to overcome in order to get the wells drilled in a timely fashion.”
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is also in the process or revising the permitting process for drilling. “There are several layers of regulatory approval,” Holbrook said.
According to Holbrook, the water regulation will primarily effect horizontal drilling, something he said, is not occurring yet in New York State. The Nornew representative explained that horizontal drilling is the best way to access the Marcellus Shale thought to exist in the New York region.
Holbrook added that while he appreciated the actions the SRBC was taking to help the gas companies find other water sources, Nornew would primarily be working with municipal water suppliers. “If we can arrange for municipal water, it’s advantageous to everyone. The municipality gets to sell water and bring in additional revenue, and we have a clear understanding of what’s available upfront,” Holbrook said. He added that other avenues will be looked at as the options are available, but he predicts Nornew will use municipal water where possible.
Holbrook said the amount of water used for the horizontal drilling may seem like a lot, but he believes it is just a drop in the bucket. “On average, it takes 80,000 gallons for the typical process. That’s like filling four in-ground swimming pools.” On average, the river dumps an average of 18 million gallons of water into the bay every minute.
Obleski explained that while the SRBC regulates water usage, they do not monitor water quality. “We know what chemicals are being used in the process, but we have no regulatory approval of the water quality,” Obleski explained. While the agency cannot regulate water quality, they have added a stipulation to their water provisions stating that companies must abide by DEC water quality agreements. If those agreements are not met, the company may not receive permission to use the quantity of water needed in the drilling process.
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