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.