PA Environment Digest Blog: House Hearing II: Road Dumping Contaminated Water From Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Creates An Aerosol Mist Carrying Pollution Through The Air And Into My Lungs

By Siri Lawson, Warren County Resident

The following testimony was submitted to the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee for an October 5 hearing on Road Spreading Contaminated Water From Conventional Oil & Gas Wells. Read more here.

I fully support the anti-road spreading bill Rep. Vitali has brought forward-- House Bill 84.

Wikipedia defines the aerosolization of a fluid as converting a liquid into fine mist or the suspension of fine droplets in air and capable of being carried in the airflow (my words).

I began capturing the indiscriminate road dumping of oil and gas wastewater, also known as brine, beginning in 2011.

I have presented the PA DEP with hundreds of photographs documenting the careless and casual practice of dumping brine on both dirt and paved roads.

To a picture, to a complaint, to a report, the DEP has denied road spreading of brine is occurring on the roads of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Despite the evidence provided by my photos, the DEP has repeatedly challenged that brine dumping was occurring on the road in front of my house.

Two years ago, my husband and myself began the process of having a professional security camera system installed to prove to the DEP what we had been saying was true.

Fortunately for us, those cameras immediately curtailed the wholesale, flagrant use of our roadspace as a dumpsite for brine.

But, it did not completely halt it. The classic “midnight dumping” still occurred.

What my cameras caught was the indisputable evidence that when brine is “spread” or dumped, brine is aerosolized.

Aerosolized Wastewater Is Dangerous

I asked Microsoft’s A.I. search program, Copilot, a question, “Why aerosolizing oil and gas wastewater from a moving truck is dangerous.” It responded--

“Aerosolizing oil and gas wastewater from a moving truck is dangerous because it releases toxic, flammable and sometimes radioactive vapors into the air creating immediate and long-term health hazards for people and the environment.”

Toxic and hazardous vapors: Oil and gas wastewater often contains hydrocarbons, benzene, radium-226, radium-228, lead-210- and other contaminants from drilling fluid, sludge and brine. When the liquid is aerosolized, these contaminants volatilize, creating airborne gasses and fine particulates that can be inhaled.

Some vapors like hydrogen sulfide can cause eye irritation, nausea, dizziness at low levels and unconsciousness at high levels. Others, such as benzene are known carcinogens.

Flammability and explosion risk: Many of these vapors are highly flammable. Aerosolizing from a moving truck can send combustible gasses into the air, where they may ignite from a spark, hot surface or the truck’s own engine intake.

In documented cases, off-gases from vacuum trucks have entered engine intakes and caused flash fires, leading to serious burns.

Radioactive Contamination: Some wastewater contains naturally-occurring radioactive materials from rock formation, such as radium isotopes. Aerosolizing can spread these particles into the air, increasing the risk of inhalation and internal exposure, which can damage organs and increase cancer risk.

Environmental and community hazards: Aerosolized waste can disperse over a wide area, contaminating air, water and soil. Spills or leaks from a moving truck can also pollute surface and groundwater affecting drinking water sources for rural communities.

Operational and safety risks: Doing this from a moving vehicle increases the likelihood of uncontrolled dispersion and exposure during transport. The “slosh and surge” effect of liquid loads in trucks can also make handling hazardous materials more unstable.

Without proper HAZMAT training, protective equipment and containment systems, the risk of acute injury or chronic illness rises sharply.

Summary: Aerosolizing oil and gas wastewater from a moving truck is dangerous because it creates a cloud of toxic, flammable and sometimes radioactive vapors and particles that can cause immediate harm, ignite, or contaminate the environment.

Safe handling requires containment, ventilation and compliance with hazardous materials regulations, not open aerosolization in transit.

In fairness, Copilot’s answer was much more succinct than mine would have been, so I quoted their answer verbatim.

Personal Health Impacts

I provided two sets of pictures in this testimony from my camera system to show the gravity of another facet of brine spreading.

My husband and I have severe respiratory and cardiovascular issues that are well documented.

Our animals and personal property have suffered extensive damage from the brine dumped on our road.

Aerosolized oil and gas wastewater carries severe ramifications for us and every other resident of Pennsylvania that lives on a public paved or dirt road.

The ease with which Copilot answered my question and its specificity demands both consideration and explanation from the DEP and the State of Pennsylvania.

How dangerous is aerosolized oil and gas wastewater?

There is a finite number of ways brine can be disgorged from a vaccum truck or more recently, pick-up trucks.

Brine can be disgorged in a flood of fluid.

I have seen brine dispersed in macro amounts from spray nozzles.

I have photographed directional sprays and gushes.

Last year I began photographing the disposal of brine spraying from fast moving pick-ups, a regulation nightmare I was told by the Northwest Office of DEP.

Every road spreading brine disposal method has one constant-- a large portion of the brine being disposed is aerosolized.

It is my belief that oil and gas wastewater disposal by road spreading presents multiple pathways of harm to me, residents of any road where wellhead brine is dumped and the environment.

My pictures show brine fluid is aerosolized when road dumped.

This fact demands an answer from both DEP and the Commonwealth as to what harm it presents to residents and the environment.

Click Here for Lawson’s testimony + photos.

Other Testimony/Written Comments

Testimony on this issue was presented by--

-- Seth Pelepko, DEP Deputy for Oil & Gas, Ali Tarquino Morris, DEP Deputy For Waste, Air, Remediation, Radiation

-- Dr. William Burgos, Professor of Environmental Engineering, Penn State University

-- Eric Chase, Assistant Director, Penn State Center for Dirt & Gravel Road Studies

-- Shannon Smith, Executive Director, FracTracker Alliance

-- David E. Hess, Former Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection

-- Holly Fishel, PA Association of Township Supervisors

Written comments were submitted by

-- Siri Lawson, Resident, Warren County

-- Lauren Posey, Protect PT

-- Steven Hvozdovich, Clean Water Action

-- Patrick Henderson, Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition

-- Stephanie Catarino Wissman, American Petroleum Institute - PA

Click Here to watch a video of the hearing.

Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net. Rep. Jack Rader, Jr. (R-Monroe) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7732 or click here to send an email.

Resource Links:

-- Late Night Road Dumping: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Continues To Be Dumped On Dirt, Gravel, Paved Roads; DEP Expected To Provide Update At April 24 Meeting [4.9.25]

-- Late Night Dumping II: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumping Continues On Roads, This Time With Bigger Trucks; New Research On Harmful Wastewater Impacts [5.22.25]

-- Op-Ed: Why Is the General Assembly About To Hurt Us By Authorizing Road Dumping Of Oil & Gas Wastewater? - By Siri Lawson [9.22.19]

-- Op-Ed: Will Our Dirt Roads Again Be Used As Dumping Sites For Oil & Gas Well Wastewater - By Siri Lawson [3.22.19]