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Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program; Proposed Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Study Design

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: July 25, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 143)]
[Notices]
[Page 45774-45775]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jy00-52]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6839-8]


Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program; Proposed Coal Bed
Methane (CBM) Study Design

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting to receive comment on a study design
for collecting information to assess environmental risks associated
with the hydraulic fracturing of coal beds for methane gas recovery.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce that EPA intends to
conduct a study of the environmental risks associated with hydraulic
fracturing; EPA has drafted a design for the study and invites comment
from the public on the study design; and, EPA will hold a public
meeting to solicit input on the study design.
    Prior to 1997, EPA had not considered regulating hydraulic
fracturing because the Agency believed that this well production
stimulation process did not fall under the UIC program's purview, nor
was it under the jurisdiction of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). In
1994, the Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation (LEAF) challenged
that interpretation by petitioning EPA to withdraw Alabama's EPA-
approved Section 1425 (SDWA) UIC program because LEAF believed the
State should regulate hydraulic fracturing for coal bed methane
development as underground injection. EPA rejected LEAF's petition, but
LEAF litigated and in 1997, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled
that hydraulic fracturing of coal beds in Alabama should be regulated
under the SDWA as underground injection (LEAF v. EPA, 118 F. 3d 1467).
The State was required to modify its UIC program, and in December 1999,
EPA approved this revision. Since the 11th Circuit Court's decision,
EPA has received verbal and written reports from several environmental
interest groups that practices associated with methane gas production
from coal beds has resulted in contamination of their underground
drinking water sources.
    Because of such reports, and because the frequency of coal bed
methane development is rapidly escalating, EPA will conduct a study to
evaluate the environmental risks to underground sources of drinking
water, potential and actual, associated with hydraulic fracturing. The
study will initially evaluate hydraulic fracturing of coal beds,
however, EPA will also consider experiences with hydraulic fracturing
associated with other types of production. EPA may later study a wider
universe of hydraulic fracturing if information collected during this
study indicates further investigation is warranted.
    The current study will estimate contamination incidents associated
with hydraulic fracturing through interviews with State and local
agencies responsible for drinking water protection, citizens, and
industries performing hydraulic fracturing. The study will also include
a literature review to provide information on the potential risks posed
by hydraulic fracturing of coal beds in areas likely to be developed
for methane gas production.
    EPA is requesting comments on the proposed study design from
stakeholders interested in coal bed methane production. EPA believes
receiving stakeholder input in the initial study design will assist it
in conducting a comprehensive investigation in the most efficient and
expeditious way possible.

DATES: A public meeting is scheduled for August 24, 2000, from 9:30
a.m. to 4 p.m. EPA requests parties who plan to attend provide notice
including name, title, organization, address, telephone, fax, and/or
email by August 15, 2000, so that sufficient facilities can be made
available. The meeting will be made available to remote locations
through teleconferencing. Any person may also provide comment on the
proposed study design in writing to EPA by August 25, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The proposed study can be viewed on EPA's Internet site at
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/uic.html. Copies of the proposed study may
be

[[Page 45775]]

obtained from EPA's Water Resource Center by phone at (202) 260-7786,
or by e-mail to center.water-resource@epa.gov or by conventional mail
to EPA Water Resource Center, RC-4100, Ariel Rios Building, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. Notices to attend
the public meeting and comments may be submitted to E. Barros, Horsley
& Witten, Inc., 90 Route 6A, Sandwich, MA 02563, Fax: (508) 833-9140,
E-mail: ebarros@horsleywitten.com. The August 24, 2000, public meeting
will be held at the Omni Shoreham, 2500 Calvert Street, NW.,
Washington, DC, PH: (202) 234-0700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: L. Cronkhite, Ground Water Protection
Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 4606, Ariel Rios
Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, PH:
(202) 260-0713.

    Dated: July 19, 2000.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 00-18793 Filed 7-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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