Inside Energy (https://insideenergy.org/tag/wastewater/page/2/)
The oilfield spill problem here has been getting worse for years, but state regulators and inspectors have downplayed how bad it really is — and have made it difficult to fact-check their claims.
In early January, a pipeline was found leaking oilfield wastewater into a creek. It’s estimated to be the worst such spill since the start of the oil boom. An Inside Energy investigation shows North Dakota’s spill problem is getting worse.
Every day, more than 2 billion gallons of water are produced in the US by the oil and gas industry. That water can contain hydrocarbons like benzene and toluene as well as the chemicals that are injected into the well to produce the oil and gas. But the federal government doesn’t treat waste from the oil and gas industry as hazardous, and much of that polluted wastewater is allowed to simply evaporate. That, it turns out, could be a problem.
