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Sources Contributing Inorganic Species to Drinking Water Intakes During Low Flow Conditions on the Allegheny River in Western Pennsylvania
Citation:
Norris, G., K. Kovalcik, M. Landis, A. Bergdale, C. Croghan, AND A. Kamal. Sources Contributing Inorganic Species to Drinking Water Intakes During Low Flow Conditions on the Allegheny River in Western Pennsylvania. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-14/430 (NTIS PB2015-104099), 2015.
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD′s research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EPA′s strategic plan. More specifically, our division conducts research to characterize the movement of pollutants from the source to contact with humans. Our multidisciplinary research program produces Methods, Measurements, and Models to identify relationships between and characterize processes that link source emissions, environmental concentrations, human exposures, and target-tissue dose. The impact of these tools is improved regulatory programs and policies for EPA.
Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting a study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on drinking water resources. This study was initiated in Fiscal Year 2010 when Congress urged the EPA to examine the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water resources in the United States. In response, EPA developed a research plan (Plan to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources) that was reviewed by the Agency's Science Advisory Board (SAB) and issued in 2011. A progress report on the study (Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources: Progress Report),detailing the EPA's research approaches and next steps, was released in late 2012 and was followed by a consultation with individual experts convened under the auspices of the SAB. The EPA's study includes the development of several research projects, extensive review of the literature and technical input from state, industry, and non-governmental organizations as well as the public and other stakeholders. A series of technical roundtables and in-depth technical workshops were held to help address specific research questions and to inform the work of the study. The study is designed to address research questions posed for each state of the hydraulic fracturing water cycle: Water Acquisition: What are the possible impacts of large volume water withdrawals from ground and surface waters on drinking water resources? Chemical Mixing: What are the possible impacts of surface spills of hydraulic fracturing fluid on or near well pads on drinking water resources? Well Injection: What are the possible impacts of the injection and fracturing process on drinking water resources? Flowback and Produced Water: What are the possible impacts of surface spills of flowback and produced water on or near well pads on drinking water resources? Wastewater Treatment and Waste Disposal: What are the possible impacts of inadequate treatment of hydraulic fracturing wastewaters on drinking water resources? This report, Sources Contributing Inorganic Species to Drinking Water Intakes during Low Flow Conditions on the Allegheny River in Western Pennsylvania, is the product of one of the research projects conducted as part of the EPA's study. It has undergone independent, external peer review in accordance with Agency policy and all of the peer review comments received were considered in the report's development. The EPA's study will contribute to the understanding of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing activities for oil and gas on drinking water resources and the factors that may influence those impacts. The study will help facilitate and inform dialogue among interested stakeholders, including Congress, other Federal agencies, states, tribal government, the international community, industry, non-governmental organizations, academia, and the general public.