Maryland Bill Would Ban Fracking Fluid Disposal And Treatment

A bill introduced in Maryland’s legislature could impact Pennsylvania natural gas drillers, as the AP reports:

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Bringing natural gas drilling wastewater into Maryland for treatment or storage would be banned under a bill introduced by a Montgomery County lawmaker.
Delegate Shane Robinson told the Cumberland Times-News that Maryland treatment plants lack the capability to safely treat drilling wastewater. (http://bit.ly/AdoWyf)
Drilling advances have led to a boom in tapping the Marcellus Shale formation, particularly in neighboring Pennsylvania. Environmentalists, meanwhile, have expressed concerns about environmental damage, particularly from wastewater produced by the process.

Pennsylvania drillers routinely truck their fracking wastewater out of state, since the commonwealth doesn’t have many locations suitable for the underground injection wells that have been linked to minor earthquakes.
We explained where fracking water comes from and how it’s disposed in this “Burning Questions” post.

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