Action Alert!

Thank you to everyone who called in to your Delegates on this important legislation. The Legislation has successfully passed out of the House, through the Senate Judiciary Committee and is now in the Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee.

Please contact your Senators on the Senate EIM (Energy, Industry & Mining) Committee and ask them to support HB 4513 the Marcellus Shale Water Bill. We expect that this bill will come on the agenda on March 10.

This bill represents a good start at regulating withdrawal 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.

Talking points are included below.

The best way to reach your Senators:

Call the capitol toll free: (877)-565-3447 – you can leave a voice mail message for your particular Senator. It will go directly to their office.

Visit the capitol website: http://www.legis.state.wv.us - You can locate your Senators easily by plugging in your zip code, and leave your e-mail message for them.

Here are the capitol phone numbers for Senate EIM:

Sen. Mike Green (D-Raleigh), Chair: (304) 357-7831
Sen. Douglas Facemire, Vice-Chair: (D-Braxton): (304) 357-7845
Sen. John Pat Fanning (D-McDowell): (304) 357-7867
Sen. Walt Helmick (D-Pocahontas): (304) 357-7980
Sen. Evan Jenkins (D-Cabell): (304) 357-7956
Sen. Jeffrey Kessler (D-Marshall): (304) 357-7880
Sen. Joseph Minard (D-Harrison): (304) 357-7904
Sen. Ron Stollings (D-Boone): (304) 357-7939
Sen. Bob Williams (D-Taylor): (304) 357-7995
Sen. Jack Yost (D-Brooke): (304) 357-7984
Sen. Frank Deem (R-Wood): (304) 357-7970
Sen. Jesse Guills (R-Greenbrier): (304) 357-7959
Sen. Dave Sypolt (R-Preston): (304) 357-7914

 

Talking Points / Reasons to Support HB 4513
Protecting State Water Resources durring Marcellus Gas Well Drilling

HB 4513 establishes minimum reporting 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.

HB 4513 represents a good start at regulating withdrawal of water for drilling and fracturing Marcellus shale gas 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.