The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a schedule to develop standards for wastewater discharges produced by natural gas extraction from underground coal bed and shale formations (“fracking”). No comprehensive set of national standards exists at this time for the disposal of wastewater discharged from natural gas fracking, and over the coming months EPA will begin the process of developing a proposed standard with the input of stakeholders – including industry and public health groups.
Disposal of huge amounts of contaminated water is one of the many significant environmental issues raised by natural gas fracking.