City site will treat mining fluids
An Otsego County mining operation that uses the controversial hydraulic fracturing method will have its fetid fluids treated at the city of Watertown's sewage treatment plant beginning today. Once treated, the approximately 35,000 gallons will be discharged into the Black River.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation recently approved the city to treat the water being used at the Ross No. 1 mining site in the town of Maryland. Covalent Energy Corp., Arlington, Va., has stored the water on site and approached the city last year about treating the water at its facilities, city treatment plant Supervisor Michael J. Sligar said.
If the plant can handle the initial load, the facility will apply with the DEC to accept more of the contaminated water, City Manager Mary M. Corriveau said.
The mining company uses a hydraulic fracturing technique to extract methane from Utica shale thousands of feet below the surface. The process, known as hydro-fracking, involves pumping thousands of gallons of water, sand and a mixture of chemicals into bedrock thousands of feet below the surface. The method forces methane found in the shale out of the rock. The gas is collected and the large amount of "flowback" water used is then pumped back to the surface.
Because laws do not require companies to disclose the chemicals used in the drilling process, it is unclear exactly what chemicals are being used at the site.
Many companies, however, use chemicals including hydrochloric acid, dimethylformamide, petroleum distillate, ammonium bisulfite and ethylene glycol. Other naturally occurring substances such as arsenic and mercury could be released into the water, according to a report on the mining process provided on DEC's Web site.
The state is aware of what is in the water but has no concern with its contents, DEC Region 6 spokesman Steven W. Litwhiler said.
"They were required to do a detailed sampling prior to the Watertown treatment plant accepting the wastewater so they can properly treat it," Mr. Litwhiler said. "We know what's in the wastewater and we are allowing the treatment plant to accept the water."
Hydro-fracking's opponents argue that the harmful chemicals from the mine could contaminate water supplies.
"The industry's frequent refrains about why the fluids pose no threat are: chemicals make up a small percentage of fracturing fluids, and some of the chemicals are also found in common household products such as glass cleaners or paints," an Environmental America report states. "Yet, years of scientific data show that even very small amounts of certain chemicals cause serious harm. Also, no one would recommend drinking glass cleaners."
The report released in November by the national advocacy group asks lawmakers to strengthen oversight of drilling companies as nationwide natural gas production grows.
Mr. Sligar said the city would have to obtain DEC approval before treating any additional water from a similar mining operation.Covalent now has three mines its 15,000-acre Maryland site.
"The DEC said that for this particular 35,000 gallons, the city of Watertown is capable of dealing with it," he said. "Each time we're approached about treating that type of water, we'll have to demonstrate that the city has the ability to treat it."
City Council members said Monday night that they were uninformed about the hydro-fracking process and the contaminated water the plant will be treating.
"So what's the big deal with this stuff that they're trucking it across the state?" asked Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham during the council's first meeting of the year.
Council members also questioned whether the city should charge more for the service. The city will charge Covalent 3.5 cents per gallon hauled to its facility, or $1,225, for its services, even though it might be the only such facility capable of treating the water in New York.
"It just sounds like a lot of man-hours for little return on the risks, which is evident because no one else is taking it," the mayor said.
Mr. Sligar said that to his knowledge, Watertown may have the only treatment plant in the state capable of treating that "category" of water. The company's second alternative, he said, would be to haul it to a plant in Ohio.
"Maybe they like our rate, maybe we're easier to work with, maybe they just like our coffee. I don't know, but I do know they're passing other facilities to get to ours," said City Engineer Kurt W. Hauk.
