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From: WVEC - Don Alexander [mailto:paradox@spectrumz.com] Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 2:42 PM To: Beth Little Subject: West Virginia Environmental Council Action Alert
West Virginia Environmental Council Action Alert February 18, 2010 WVEC http://www.wvecouncil.org/take_action/index.html Alerts Archive
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Finally we have a bill that addresses Marcellus Shale water issues. The bill number is HB 4513, and it is important that you contact your legislators now asking them to support this bill.
The main sponsor of the bill is Delegate Tim Manchin. It was drafted with input from both the WV Environmental Council and representatives from the Oil & Gas industry.
It's a good start at regulating withdrawl of water for drilling and fracturing these Marcellus shale wells. The bill also contains regulations requiring identification of the contents of frac fluids - and sets up a system for tracking the disposal of those fluids.
Please contact members of the House Judiciary Committee - including Chairman Tim Miley, expressing your support for this bill.
House Judiciary Members:
Tim Miley, Chair (D-Harrison) (304) 340-3252 tim.miley@wvhouse.gov Mark Hunt, Vice-Chair (D-Kanawha) (304) 340-3392 mhunt@markahunt.com John Ellem, Minority Chair (R-Wood) (304) 340-3394 ellem@wirefire.com Patrick Lane, Minority Vice-Chair (R-Kanawha) (304) 340-3275 - no e-mail Larry Barker (D-Boone) (304) 340-3149 no e-mail Bonnie Brown (D-Kanawha) (304) 340-3106 bonnie.brown@wvhouse.gov Mike Caputo (D-Marion) (304) 340-3249 no e-mail Michael Ferro (D-Marshall) (304) 340-3111 mike.ferro@wvhouse.gov Barbara Fleischauer (D-Monongalia) (304) 340-3169 barbaraf@mail.wvnet.edu John Frazier (D-Mercer) (304) 340-3396 jfrazier@mail.wvnet.edu Tal Hutchins (D-Ohio) (304) 340-3270 thutch@mail.wvnet.edu Linda Longstreth (D-Marion) (304) 340-3124 no e-mail Harold Michael (D-Hardy) (304) 340-3340 no e-mail Clif Moore (D-McDowell) (304) 340-3189 cmoore@mail.wvnet.edu Mike Ross (D-Randolph) (304) 340-3145 mikeross@mail.wvnet.edu Alex Shook (D-Monongalia) (304) 340-3173 ashook@mail.wvnet.edu Doug Skaff (D-Kanawha) (304) 340-3362 doug.skaff@wvhouse.gov Sally Susman (D-Raleigh) (304) 340-3183 ssusman@mail.wvnet.edu Danny Wells (D-Kanawha) (304) 340-3287 no e-mail Bill Wooton (D-Raleigh) (304) 340-3164 wrwooton@mail.wvnet.edu Bill Hamilton (R-Upshur) (304) 340-3167 bill.Hamilton@wvhouse.gov John Overington (R-Berkeley) (304) 340-3148 john@overington.com Robert Schadler (R-Mineral) (304) 340-3191 rschadler@comcast.net Patti Schoen (R-Putnam) (304) 340-3141 pschoen@mail.wvnet.edu Kelli Sobonya (R-Cabell) (304) 340-3175 sobonya-4wvhouse@aol.com
Talking Points / Reasons to Support HB 4513 Protecting State Water Resources from Marcellus Gas Well Drilling
HB 4513 establishes additional requirements for the drilling and fracturing of Marcellus Shale gas wells. These requirements are necessary in order to protect rivers and streams from becoming dewatered by stream withdrawals or contaminated by disposal of wastewater produced in the drilling and fracturing process.
The bill would require that prior to drilling, fracturing or stimulating Marcellus Shale gas wells that use large volume fracs, operators must submit the following information to WV DEP's Office of Oil and Gas:
* Type of water source (surface, underground or groundwater) and county of origin
* GPS data of withdrawal location
* Anticipated volume of each withdrawal
* Anticipated months when water withdrawals will be made
* Planned management and/or disposition of wastewater
* Additives to frac fluids and material data safety sheets
For surface water withdrawals, a water resources protection plan that includes the above information, and measures to be taken to allow the state to manage water quantity. The Plan must include the following:
* Current designated and existing water uses, including public water intakes within one mile downstream
* Demonstration of sufficient instream flow immediately downstream
* Use of the DEP Water Use Guidance Tool as a measurement of flow
* Measures to protect fish
Further, the bill mandates that operators keep records of their handling of frac water, including the quantity of flowback water, the quantity of produced water, and the method of disposal of flowback and produced water.
For disposal of these waste waters, operators must keep records of the quantity of all water transported to disposal facilities, the collection and disposal locations of all waste water, and the name of the water hauler.
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Don mailto:paradox@spectrumz.com Alexander WVEC E-mail List Coordinator Subscribe or http://www.wvecouncil.org/take_action/ Unsubscribe Online Donate Online http://www.wvecouncil.org/join/
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