Andrew Maykuth

Pa. drillers told to stop sending wastewater to treatment plants

The bromides themselves are not a public health risk – they account for a tiny part of the salty dissolved solids that create an unpleasant taste in water at elevated levels. …But bromides react with the chlorine disinfectants used by drinking water to form brominated trihalomethanes (THMs), a volatile organic compound.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer (2011) Read More

Pennsylvania State officials seek more oversight of gas drilling

As permits surged, Pennsylvania officials moved to tighten oversight of shale operations — reviewing casing standards, inspection capacity, and enforcement authority. The boom had outrun the rulebook. Lawmakers faced pressure from both drillers and residents, each warning of different risks. The state’s challenge was clear: regulate a rapidly expanding industry without halting the economic engine it had unleashed.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer (2010) Read More