A natural gas industry trade group on Friday criticized the federal government's plans to set standards for pretreating wastewater from drilling operations in shale formations, but an environmental organization considers it a step in the right direction.

"This is yet another Washington solution in search of a problem, as treated Marcellus water in Pennsylvania is no longer discharged into surface waters," Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, said in a statement yesterday. The Cecil-based trade group represents about 200 natural gas drillers and service companies that supply the water and chemicals used to hydraulically fracture the natural gas-rich Marcellus shale.

Myron Arnowitt, director of Pennsylvania Clean Water Action, said his environmental group is pleased to see the Environmental Protection Agency get involved in the issue because the federal guidelines will help states set standards for wastewater disposal.

"We've had some problems with the way we (Pennsylvania) do it. The state is relying on some voluntary efforts" to ensure proper disposal of the wastewater, Arnowitt said.

The EPA said on Thursday that it would develop comprehensive national standards in three years for treating toxic wastewater used to fracture the shale gas production and coalbed methane before it is sent to a wastewater treatment facility. The standards are necessary because even though the industry reuses or injects wastewater underground, a significant amount requires disposal. Some of that water is taken to treatment plants not equipped to treat the waste, the federal agency said.

The industry and public health groups will have input on the new standards, which will be based on "economically achievable technologies," the agency said.

"While we certainly appreciate that EPA shares our concern in protecting the environment, especially water, it's baffling that the agency would move forward with such measures that completely disregard the facts on the ground," Klaber said.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in January instituted standards that industrial wastewater discharged into waterways could contain no more than 500 parts per million of dissolved solids such as salts. The Marcellus shale drillers agreed to the state's request in April to cease taking wastewater to about 15 plants that still were permitted to accept the salt-laden wastewater.

The state has made so much progress in eliminating the salt-laden wastewater from being discharged into the waterways that Pennsylvania can share some of its experience with the federal government, said Michael Krancer, secretary of the DEP.

The state wants to make sure that whatever standards the federal government develops, they are scientifically sound, Krancer said.

Davitt Woodwell, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, said it was premature for the organization to comment because the standards have yet to be determined. Woodwell said, however, the state has come a long way in its standards for wastewater disposal and in the voluntary compliance.

"For decades, it was 'dilution was the solution' ... but dilution did not work," said Woodwell, referring to past practices of discharging treated wastewater into rivers and streams, even when it still contained dissolved solids.

Pennsylvania has made so much progress in reducing pollution from drilling wastewater that the drilling operations have less impact now, when there are thousands of wells in the Marcellus shale reserves, than when the first one was drilled, said John Hanger, former state DEP secretary.

With advances in treatment technology, "zero discharge" of the polluted wastewater into waterways is achievable in Pennsylvania, Hanger said.

Read more: EPA's drilling rules cheered by environmentalists, jeered by industry - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_763220.html#ixzz1c5TugVBX