PA Creates New Fracking Restrictions

Pennsylvania has seen a mixed bag from natural gas hydraulic fracturing. One the one hand, thousands of jobs have been created, while on the other activists argue that there has been irreparable damage to the environment.

 The state's Department of Environmental Protection announced that their Chapter 78(a) regulations went into effect October 22nd. The current governor, Tom Wolf, ran and won the 2014 gubernatorial race based on a promise to restrict fracking.

The new regulations have a multitude of effects, including:

• Allowing the DEP to require special protective measures for drilling near school property, playgrounds, parks, forests, and other public property.
• Operators must remediate any water supply affected by oil and natural gas development.
• Electronic filing provisions for the DEP to track well development and operations.
• Strengthen regulations for storage of fracking wastewater. This includes a general, but not complete, prohibition of disposal of drill cuttings at well sites.

According to the Marcellus Shale Coalition the new requirements will increase filing requirements of 70 new forms per well. They estimate that the regulations could cost $2 million per well, which could cause a reduction in well drilling.