Tkaczyk bill would ban the import and treatment of fracking fluid
Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk is proposing a bill that would ban hydraulic fracturing waste from being shipped into the state for processing and disposal. Though high-volume hydraulic fracturing, widely known as hydrofracking, is not permitted in the New York, the bill (S.5123-a) intends to prohibit the import of waste byproduct from other states, such as Pennsylvania and Virginia, that allow hydrofracking.
According to Tkaczyk, D-Duanesburg, tens of thousands of tons of hydrofracking waste, dubbed fracking fluids, are transported into New York waste water processing facilities to be treated and disposed of within the state. "We are allowing tens of thousands of tons of toxic, hazardous fracking waste from other states to be disposed of here in New York," said Tkaczyk. "Fracking waste water is known to contain hundreds of hazardous and toxic chemicals… most notably heavy metals, volatile compounds, radioactive elements and salty brine."
Hydrofracking is the process of drilling into the ground to break up rock layers, shale, in order to extract natural gases. The fracking fluids, a combination of water and chemicals, are used to force the gas from the ground. The fracking fluids are known to contaminate wells through leakage and since all the chemicals in the fracking waste are neither known nor regulated, Tkaczyk feels allowing them to enter the state's water basins would harm the environment and health of New Yorkers. "It simply makes no sense that we would accept hazardous waste from other states while we are debating the environmental and health impacts fracking would have here in New York," said Tkaczyk.
Tkaczyk said that currently gas drilling companies are exempt from having to publish some of the chemicals used in the fracking process under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.
Read more at http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2013-05-15-83784.113122-Tkaczyk-bill-would-ban-the-import-and-treatment-of-fracking-fluid.html