This post was written by Ariel Nieland.
On March 31, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) held a Marcellus Shale regulatory requirements training seminar in Harrisburg, PA, and Reed Smith was there. The general message of the DEP seemed to be that conscientious well site planning and operation at the outset on the part of operators will be met with a willingness on the part of regulatory authorities to promote development and production of the resource.
The seminar covered a range of environmental topics associated with Marcellus Shale development. The segment on protecting streams and wetlands addressed the general permitting requirements for well sites located within 100 feet of streams, springs, or other bodies of water. The next segment, covering spill reporting requirements, underscored the importance of establishing a "Preparedness, Prevention and Contingency" plan, a requirement for well operators under the Clean Streams Law, that sets forth guidelines for waste disposal and emergency response measures. The session on water management plans provided an overview of the requirements for identifying water sources -- including public water supplies, surface or groundwater, wastewater, and frac flowback -- to be used in Marcellus Shale development as well as best management practices for water use. The seminar next focused on dam safety permit requirements for centralized impoundment areas in Marcellus Shale gas well sites, including the best management practices for the construction of impoundment areas, use of synthetic liners, and impoundment site management. The segment on chemical analysis of residual waste addressed submission requirements for identifying specific chemicals contained in well site waste (including flowback water, brines, muds, and cuttings), the reporting, monitoring, and recordkeeping requirements for that residual waste, and waste transportation guidelines. Finally, the session on erosion and sediment control provided an overview of best management practices for constructing site access roadways, waterbars, sediment barriers and channels, and culverts in order to meet the DEP's general permitting requirements.
The program was an abridged version of a two-day comprehensive training program on Marcellus Shale regulatory requirements offered at Pennsylania State University in January 2010.
