Dec. 7, 2010 6:01 a.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final permit modification for the city of Warren to accept gas well wastewater at its treatment plant. Warren is the first Ohio community to request and receive approval to process wastewater generated from hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus shale deposits.
The Warren Pollution Control Center can begin accepting up to 100,000 gallons per day of pre-treated wastewater containing total dissolved solids, or salts, at levels that do not exceed 50,000 parts per million. The increase should not cause significant biological impacts to the Mahoning River or downstream drinking water sources, OEPA officials say.
The low-salinity wastewater first will go through a metals removal process, or pre-treatment, at Patriot Water Treatment's facility on Sferra Avenue N.W. From there, it will be sent to the city's plant and mixed with other wastewater entering the facility for treatment and discharge to the Mahoning River.
If the plant processes gas well wastewater at the maximum 100,000 gallons per day allowed under the permit, TDS concentrations in the Mahoning River are projected to increase by approximately 60 parts per million under critical low-flow conditions.
The plant will be required to conduct daily monitoring and increase whole effluent toxicity testing from annually to quarterly. The facility also must monitor monthly for chloride, sulfate, barium and strontium, and submit an annual report detailing the presence of any naturally occurring radioactive material.
Prior to issuing the final permit, the Ohio EPA issued a proposed permit Sept. 21 and accepted written public comments through Nov. 4.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio