Mud in your face: Texas battles the EPA

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · Pet. Indep.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6071442

Texas objects to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed hazardous waste rules that would include drilling muds and production brine, even though the EPA lacks adequate information on either the nature or presence of heavy metals, especially chromium and barium, in the mud or brine. The cost burden of this regulation on the Texas drilling industry for 20 million barrels of mud and 9.6 million barrels of water each day are estimated at a one-time cost of $34 billion and an annual cost of $10.8 billion thereafter. Regulation of these wastes has traditionally been the responsibility of the Texas Railraod Commission (TRC), but spot checks by the EPA showed the regulation to be unreliable. Texans object to Washington control when no health links have been found between drilling activities and public water supplies and because of the burden of paperwork.

• OSTI ID: 6071442
• Journal Information: Pet. Indep.; (United States), Journal Name: Pet. Indep.; (United States) Vol. 48:3; ISSN PEIND
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300 -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
020900 -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
021000 -- Petroleum-- Legislation & Regulations
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
294002* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Petroleum
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BARIUM
BRINES
CHROMIUM
DRILLING
DRILLING FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
METALS
POLLUTION
REGULATIONS
SOLID WASTES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION
WELL DRILLING