Jan. 22 Penn State Webinar To Explore Regulation Of Injection Wells

A free, web-based seminar focusing on the recycling and disposal of fluids from oil and gas drilling will be offered by Penn State Extension's Marcellus Education Team.

The webinar, from 1 to 2 p.m. January 22, will feature Karen Johnson, chief of the Groundwater and Enforcement Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 3. She will discuss the Underground Injection Control program in Pennsylvania and current underground injection well activity.

While much of the fluid from oil and gas drilling is recycled, there still are residual fluids that must be disposed of properly. One means of disposal has been underground injection wells. In Pennsylvania, injection wells of all types are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act by the EPA.

"Although EPA has been implementing the Underground Injection Control Program in Pennsylvania since 1985, and there are more than 40,000 injection wells of various types in the state, there are many misconceptions about the program," Johnson said. "The primary purpose of the program is to protect underground sources of drinking water from potential contamination."

While the webinar is free, registration is necessary. To register online, go to the Penn State Extension Natural Gas Events page. For more information, contact Carol Loveland at 570-320-4429 or by email to: cal24@psu.edu.

Upcoming Webinars

Penn State Extension's Marcellus Education Team provides monthly webinars on a variety of topics. Upcoming webinars for 2015 include:

-- February 19: "The Fracking-water Nexus: Issues Encountered by Industry," presented by Terry Engelder, Penn State professor of geosciences.

-- March 19: "Natural Gas Liquids: From Wellhead to Fractionation," presented by Dan Brockett, educator on Penn State Extension's Marcellus Education Team.

Previous webinars, publications and information also are available on the Penn State Extension Natural Gas webpage, covering a variety of topics, such as Act 13, seismic testing, air pollution from gas development, water use and quality, natural gas liquids regional development, natural gas reserves, gas-leasing considerations for landowners, legal issues surrounding gas development and the impact of Marcellus gas development on forestland.