Environmental Considerations Associated with Hydraulic Fracturing Operations
by James A. Jacobs, Stephen M. Testa
6Surface and Groundwater Risks, Resource Quality Management, and Impacts
6.1 Introduction
The potential adverse impact of groundwater resources in relation to well stimulation implementation and hydraulic fracturing is a major concern and has received much attention at many levels. In the United States, the various plays have developed under significantly different geological, hydrogeological, and environmental settings, different regulatory frameworks, and infrastructure resources. These factors influence water quality and availability, water quantity, inherent vulnerability, and the approach regulatory agencies take to address these risks. The potential for adverse risks to overall water quality reflects several primary sources including the potential impact on existing subsurface and surface water quality and freshwater‐bearing zones. The potential for adverse impact to contaminate groundwater at depth can result from poor well integrity, inappropriate reinjection into beneficial water sources, and injection of wastewater into disposal wells. Water quality can also be adversely impacted by improper storage and handling of fluids at the well production site. These instances take the form of surface spills and inadequate pit linings. In regard to regional water quality, such impacts can take the form of gas migration, contaminant transport via induced and natural fractures, wastewater discharge and disposition, and accidental spills.
In considering the potential risks that ...