By PAIGE HOUPT
Capital News Service
LANSING – House Democrats in Michigan are pushing bills to protect the state’s waters by regulating fracking, a process that injects water and chemicals deep into the ground to fracture rocks and force out natural gas.
They want further research on the practice’s environmental impacts.
The legislation would require full public disclosure of all fracking chemicals at least 30 days before fracking operations begin, according to Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, sponsor of one of the bills.
The bills would prohibit the state from issuing permits to drillers until further research on the environmental impacts.
A new package of bills in Michigan would add hurdles for natural gas drillers who use hydraulic fracturing. Photo: arimoore (Flickr)
Additionally, the departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources would study the public health, environmental and natural resource impacts.
The bills would also close the loophole on the exemption status for the natural gas industry, requiring them to comply with existing state water withdrawal regulations.
State and industry officials say that there are already sufficient safeguards, some of them just recently implemented.
But Irwin said oil and gas companies shouldn’t be allowed to drain nearby streams, rivers or neighboring wells for their financial benefit.
“The package would call on the Department of Environmental Quality to conduct a deep study of hydraulic fracking to make sure that these companies that look at Michigan with thirsty, hungry eyes, do everything they need to do, and they use best practices from around the country,” Irwin said.
Energy companies have used the fracking technology in Michigan since the 1960s. Industry representatives say it’s environmentally safe, but some lawmakers and environmental groups say it can pollute surface and groundwater and even air.
There are currently about 18,000 wells in the state, and 12,000 of them have been drilled for hydraulic fracturing, according to Hal Fitch, state director of the Office of Geological Survey.
Last year, Michigan auctioned off 120,000 acres of state land for hydraulic fracturing.
Cyndi Roper, director for Clean Water Action, said that water used for fracking, unlike water used for agriculture or other commercial needs, cannot be reused.
“We need to answer the questions we have on fracking and come back at it with a full set of answers in order to protect Michigan’s needs and in order to ensure we aren’t putting the state’s waters at risk,” Roper said.
The proposed legislation would allow Michigan to avoid chemicals leaking into groundwater as has happened in Texas, New York and Pennsylvania, according to Mike Berkowitz, Michigan chapter organizer from the Sierra Club.
“This will give our state an opportunity to learn more about this practice before making rash decisions,” Berkowitz said.
In May, the state set new regulations that will require operators to document where they plan to get the water they use.
They also will be required to report how much of the water they recover.
Companies also have to disclose the environmental effects of the chemical additives they use.
Operators are also required to submit records showing fracturing volumes, rates and pressures.
State officials say new legislation is unnecessary and that Michigan’s deep earth fracturing practices have been totally safe since the 1960s.
Industry officials agree.
“I think the best study we have is the experience of decades of experience,” said John Griffin, a Lansing lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute.
“We have had quite a bit of activity but not quite as much as other states like Pennsylvania.”
Griffin said despite Michigan’s clean track record, there was one leakage incident in 1975, and as a result companies are required to use two layers of steel and two layers of cement within the fracking hole.
“But if you follow your regulations and have your two steel casings and two layers of cement then you’re not going to have a problem,” Griffin said
Let’s see, the Dems have a package of Bills to regulate FRACKING, the Repugs have a majority in both branches of the Legislature and the Governor’s office. What’s that about a snowball’s chance in hell? No, I think that our fresh groundwater is about to be contaminated, then we can buy and drink Nestles’ water, provided it isn’t FRACKED to death.
Since the 1960’s there has been a huge increase of hydraulic fracturing. One of the problems is the cumulative effect this will have on our water because of the amount used first of all and the danger of contamination. The impetus for all of this fracking is that gas and oil companies are lining the pockets of our politicians. Until we get money out of politics there will be a push back for clean energy. I’m amazed at the amt of money that must be spent by gas and oil companies for their very fancy TV ads. And we continue to subsidize gas and oil companies but when we subsidized Solyndra and it failed, the Obama administration was accused of wrong doing. But I guess it’s okay if we have pipeline explosions,oil spills and mining accidents?
We need to get money out of politics and we need to realize that our environment is not for sale.
The DEQ continues to avoid differentiating between the shallow wells that have been drilled since the 1960’s and the new techniques required for the deeper Utica and Collingwood shale deposits. The deep shale slickwater hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling uses much more water (as much as 7 million gallons) and more undisclosed toxic chemicals injected at higher pressures. The higher volumes of waste water produced from this practice will require more underground injection wells to dispose of the waste.
The study required by these bills will take the time to determine whether additional safeguards are needed to protect our water and natural resources. We can’t afford to get this wrong. Let’s make sure we have adequate protection in place.
Oh and gee, Oklahoma had an earthquake recently. It couldn’t possibly be related to the fracking, could it? and the one on the East Coast was just a fluke too. I know my sarcasm is showing, but I saw an interview with one of those industry experts, and all his body language, verbal phrasing and definitly his eyes! said he was totally lying. Where money is concerned, truth becomes optional to big business.
“Energy companies have used the fracking technology in Michigan since the 1960s.”
But have the same chemicals been used all that time? Or are there more dangerous chemicals used now? Or higher concentrations of previously used chemicals? Have pressures increased over the years? Have there been other operational changes that increase the risk of environmental damage? Is the risk today the same as in 1960?
Just received a list of the chemicals involved. Not pretty.