Good news from Colorado about a safer way to store oil and gas waste
Posted June 24, 2011 in Health and the Environment
I've blogged before about the environmental risks associated with open air waste pits used by the oil and gas industry, including risks to air quality, groundwater, surface water, and soil. I've also blogged about the fact that there are better solutions than pits available to the industry in pitless, closed loop systems that are economical and readily available.
The latest news from Colorado is that closed loop systems were used in 79 percent of wells permitted to be drilled in Colorado in March (184 of them), compared with 38 percent for March, 2010. This is good news for the environment, and proves that pitless drilling and fracking is a very viable alternative for industry, providing a win-win solution.
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Comments
Dan Holt — Jun 28 2011 04:57 AM
Better than the open pits... yes, but let's not get carrried away. What are they doing with the waste from the closed loop systems? Here in Texas they pump it deep underground, (disposal wells) where the "water" mixed with toxic drilling/fracking waste could pose a threat to aquifers. Also, the billions of gallons of fresh water being used is gone, not to be returned into our ecosystem as water should be. I don't think that's the solution either. Gotta get these folks to recycle the fracking and drilling water, not just continue using up so much fresh water.