West Virginia Environmental Council Action Alert
February 18, 2010        WVEC Alerts Archive

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.

Don Alexander
WVEC E-mail List Coordinator
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