West Virginia Already Has New Drilling-Waste Rules
Charleston Gazette
9 March 2012
By Staff reports
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Earlier this year, the West Virginia
Department of Environmental Protection added requirements that
drillers of new injection wells, or those seeking modified
drilling permits, provide a detailed geologic survey of subsurface
features "specifically looking for faults, fractures and other
potential seismically active areas," according to DEP spokeswoman
Kathy Cosco.
Although clusters of small earthquakes have occurred in Braxton
and Upshur counties in the general vicinity of drilling activity
in recent years, no link between drilling and seismic activity in
the Mountain State has been established.
Given the possibility of such a link in light of earthquake
activity near the Youngstown area well and elsewhere, however, "we
would be remiss not to respond," Cosco said.
More than 50 injection wells are licensed in West Virginia, and
ten of those are commercial wastewater-injection wells similar to
the one near Youngstown.