H34C-01
A National Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing Activities on Drinking Water Resources

Wednesday, 16 December 2015: 16:00
3014 (Moscone West)
Caroline Ridley1, Susan Burden2, Megan M Fleming2, Christopher D Knightes3, Jonathan Koplos4, Stephen D LeDuc5, Shari Ring4, John Stanek6, Mary Ellen Tuccillo4, Jim Weaver7 and Jeffrey Frithsen1, (1)Environmental Protection Agency Washington DC, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC, United States, (2)Environmental Protection Agency Washington DC, Office of Science Policy, Washington, DC, United States, (3)Organization Not Listed, USEPA, Washington, DC, United States, (4)Cadmus Group, Inc., Waltham, MA, United States, (5)Environmental Protection Agency Arlington, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Arlington, VA, United States, (6)Environmental Protection Agency Research Triangle Park, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States, (7)Environmental Protection Agency Ada, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Ada, OK, United States
Abstract:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released a draft assessment of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. As part of the draft assessment, we reviewed, analyzed, and synthesized information from over 950 sources and concluded that there are above and below ground mechanisms by which hydraulic fracturing activities have the potential to impact drinking water resources. These mechanisms include:
  • Water withdrawals in times of, or in areas with, low water availability;
  • Spills of hydraulic fracturing fluids and produced water; 
  • Fracturing directly into underground drinking water resources; 
  • Below ground migration of liquids and gases; and 
  • Inadequate treatment and discharge of wastewater.

Of the potential mechanisms identified in this report, we found specific instances where one or more mechanisms led to impacts on drinking water resources, including contamination of drinking water wells. The number of identified cases, however, was small compared to the number of hydraulically fractured wells. This finding could reflect a rarity of effects on drinking water resources, but may also be due to other limiting factors. These factors include: insufficient pre- and post-fracturing data on the quality of drinking water resources; the paucity of long-term systematic studies; the presence of other sources of contamination precluding a definitive link between hydraulic fracturing activities and an impact; and the inaccessibility of some information on hydraulic fracturing activities and potential impacts.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or polices of the EPA.

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