American Opinion: Stop fracking practice? No, fix wells instead

From Forum News Service

A recent editorial from a Midwest newspaper.

Stop fracking practice? No, fix wells instead

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - There are anecdotes. And then there’s science.

North Dakotans should discount the former and pay attention to the latter, especially on topics that are as central to the state’s future as this one is: fracking’s effects on the environment.

A Stanford University-led study has a lot to say on the subject. State officials should take note, because the findings can and should influence rulemaking for years to come.

Basically, the new study finds the middle ground between the antifracking and pro-fracking extremes - the people who say fracking’s too dangerous to be used at all, and those who say it causes few or no ill effects whatsoever.

In fact, fracking has led to some cases of groundwater contamination, as critics claim. Here’s how a press summary of the study puts it: “Cases of groundwater contamination have been hotly debated, but the new study finds that the overwhelming evidence suggests it has happened, albeit not commonly.”

But the study’s findings actually are good news for fracking’s supporters, because the contamination usually has come from sources such as leaks in the well casing, not from fracking itself.

And leaks, after all, can be fixed.

“Gas and chemicals from manmade fractures thousands of meters underground very rarely seep upward to drinking-water aquifers,” the summary declares. “The real threats are failures in the steel and cement casings of wells nearer to the surface and the disposal of wastewater, the study finds.”

Again, that’s good news for fracking’s supporters - if they’re savvy enough to insist that the results be used to demand stronger well casings and similar remedies.

The oil and natural-gas industries themselves seem ready to accept this outcome. Dave Spigelmyer, president of the Pittsburgh-based Marcellus Shale Coalition of drillers told the Associated Press that his industry is working with state officials “to modernize and dramatically strengthen shale development-related regulations.”

North Dakota regulators should take a hard look at the state’s wellbuilding rules and make sure the techniques and materials demanded are state-of-the-art.

The study’s other finding that likely will impact the Bakken concerns wastewater disposal, “one of the biggest issues associated with fracking,” said a Duke University geochemist associated with the study.

“Most fracking wastewater in the United States is injected deep underground,” the study summary notes.

“However, a handful of states still allow the wastewater to be used for watering cattle, sprayed onto roads for dust control or sent to municipal water-treatment plants not equipped to handle the chemicals involved.

“All bad ideas, according to the authors. … One study they cite found that the agricultural use of fracking wastewater killed more than half of nearby trees within two years.”

Oil-field wastewater no longer is used on North Dakota roads except on a limited, case-by-case basis. But even that may be too much, as a review of the study could reveal.

“Society is certain to extract more gas and oil due to fracking,” said the study’s leader, Stanford environmental scientist Robert Jackson, in press accounts.

“The key is to reduce the environmental costs as much as possible, while making the most of the environmental benefits.” Thanks to the steady advance of science, North Dakota now is a step closer to doing just that.

- Grand Forks Herald