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DEC release of Natural Gas Drilling DRAFT Regulations
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DEC release of Natural Gas Drilling DRAFT Regulations
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FYI, the long-awaited DEC DRAFT of natural gas drilling regulations -- particularly related to the Marcellus Shale drilling in New York State -- has been released. Titled the "Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement on the Oil and Gas Solution Mining Regulatory Program", the Note that the Draft SGEIS (Sept 30, 2009) documents themselves can be accessed and searched in several forms (whole document PDF, and individual chapter PDFs) at http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/58440.html . A Binghamton PressConnects.com article summarizes some aspects of the document from the DEC release, courtesy of Mary Beilby, retired SUNY Cortland librarian. Dave 
September 30, 2009
NY regulators propose pre-emptive checks of gas wells in Marcellus Shale
By Tom Wilber
twilber@gannett.com Energy companies pursuing the Marcellus Shale in New York can expect to face additional regulations, including on-site inspection of certain drilling procedures and pre-emptive testing of air and soil. Those are a few conditions proposed by a set of draft regulations aimed at prospectors from throughout the country - including multi-national energy firms - staking out land to tap the rich natural gas reserve under Broome County. The state Department Environmental Conservation released the 500-page document late Tuesday outlining dozens of new steps to protect the environment from horizontal drilling and high volumes of waste it produces. The report, called a Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement, does not address where additional manpower will come from to inspect thousands of new wells expected in the Southern Tier and handle reams of related paperwork. DEC officials will be accepting written public comments on the draft until Nov. 30. They will also hold public information sessions, to be scheduled, according to a report from the agency. The regulations deal specifically with horizontal drilling favored to tap the Marcellus. Unlike traditional vertical wells drilled into pockets of gas here and there, the Marcellus is a vast and relatively uniform gas reserve running under the Southern Tier and throughout the Appalachian Basin. To effectively develop it, operators drill down 4,000 to 6,000 feet and then horizontally for up to a mile. The process is done on a much larger scale than traditional vertical wells, with risks related to excessive water consumption and waste handling increasing proportionately. DEC officials have watched and learned from developments in Dimock Township, Pa., where Cabot Oil & Gas recently had to shut down some operations after repeated spills and environmental problems. Explosive levels of methane contaminated some drinking water supplies earlier this year. More recently, an 8,000 gallon spill of chemicals used to stimulate well production polluted a creek and wetland. The spills and related problems happened to come to light in the township 25 miles south of Binghamton as the DEC studied the environmental impact from drilling and pulled together its own plan to prevent them. "We've put forth a comprehensive review, containing numerous safety and mitigation proposals and look forward to hearing input from all stakeholders," said Yancey Roy, a spokesman for the agency. Proposed new rules include: More stringent drilling and casing requirements, overseen by a state inspector to be on site while casings are being built. Disclosing compositions and concentrations of chemicals used to stimulate gas production in each well. The process, called hydraulic fracturing, is at the center of a national debate over the safety of natural gas production. Testing private water wells within 1,000 to 2,000 feet of the drill site prior to drilling, to provide baseline information and allow for ongoing monitoring. Completing stringent plans for water-withdrawals and impacts on stream. Complete a "Pre-Frac Checklist and Certification Form" to ensure technical compliance and provide information regarding well-bore construction. Prepare plans to mitigating greenhouse gas, visual impact and noise impacts from drilling, and plans to coordinate traffic and staging equipment. New standards, including steel tanks and fenced in double lined lagoons, depending on the set up, to store drilling waste. Additional permits for storm water control and industrial activities. The DEC's regulatory overhaul began after Southern Tier residents crowded into school auditoriums and town halls to attend public information sessions hosted by the agency in the summer of 2008. Those sessions often became heated, as regulators were unable to satisfactorily answer questions about water consumption, waste disposal, chemical handling and other aspects of large scale Marcellus drilling. Additional Facts
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