Texas Fracking Disclosures to Include Water Totals
Starting Feb. 1, drilling operators in Texas will have to report many of the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing. Environmentalists and landowners are looking forward to learning what acids, hydroxides and other materials have gone into a given well.
But a less-publicized part of the regulation is what some water experts are most interested in: the mandatory disclosure of the amount of water needed to “frack” each well. Experts call this an invaluable tool as they evaluate how fracking affects water supplies in the drought-prone state.
Hydraulic fracturing involves shooting water, sand and additives deep into the earth to ...
Comments (9)
Tom Henderson
I've been waiting for the "other shoe" - water use - to drop. The next world war/conflict will be about liquid, but that liquid won't be oil.
audrey fisher
There was a discussion on LNG development in South Texas last night via PBS. Unfortunately, I missed a fair amount of the program (hopefully there is a pod cast), but the part I did see didn't mention this topic.
The questions and the answers to hopefully be provided by these database released figures are things that every citizen should be concerned.
I'm with Tom H. Water could be the next big battle and if we lose potable water all the LNG etc won't matter a diddily squat.
bob walters
This is just more regulation on top of more regulation to block fossil fuels, sponsored by Obama and his sponsors, the Green Energy interests. The nation has a right to the energy that lies beneath the ground in Texas. This isn't about Texas. This is about making the US a economic power once again. So the Texas legislature and the EPA need to step aside and do what's right for America. A few farmers in Texas shouldn't be able to destroy an entire nation.
Tea Party 2012!
audrey fisher
Gee Bob, as you have posted that you are a member of the TP - of course you are arguing that regulations are bad. What you seem to overlook, is that Ignorance Is Bliss and that no one should consider that there are any unintended consequences.
Where is the concern for future generations - wasn't that the whine about TARP (GWB) and the reason for Balanced Budget Amendment - We can't push debt down the road, we can't saddle future generations to that consequence of bad spending of $2B/week in Iraq. But the land (which is oh so precious to Texans)...you don't care about that future generations of citizens.
So where is the harm in actually knowing how much water this fracking will consume? It sounds like you believe that it's OK is TX becomes a "dustbowl" because the nation is more important. One would suspect that the million plus resident's in South Texas may have a slightly different opinion.
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Is anybody surprised by this? "Texas ranks pretty much dead-last of any state I’ve worked with for keeping track of that sort of data,” Engle said."
Tracy Griffith via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Doesn't anyone think that one-percent of statewide water use is a LOT of water? Any figures on how this compares to agriculture or manufacturing?
Tim Tukaram Spotswood via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I thought "frack" was a cuss word in Battlestar Galactica.
jess perry
y wait??? if its hazardous dont put it in our ground where it has small chance of getting in our water???
jess perry
y use water when there alternatives (gasfrac) and others, that use no water and dont flare the gas.