New York Senate Passes Hoylman Bill to Ban the Use of Fracking Byproducts as Highway De-Icing Agents

“What will they do with all the frac waste?” people asked Ernst on her speaking tours.”They will make us eat and drink it,” Ernst replied. (And later we find out: drive, walk, run, bike on it)

NY Senate Passes Hoylman Bill to Ban the Use of Fracking Byproducts as Highway De-Icing Agents by Brad Hoylman, March 25, 2021, The New York State Senate

Hydrofracking operations generate a variety of waste fluids, which are used by some communities to de-ice roads in winter (due to its high salt content) and suppress dust in other seasons.

However, wastewater from hydrofracking contains a variety of chemical contaminants, and some wastewater contains levels of contaminants that pose human health risks. In addition, studies from Pennsylvania have shown that hydrofracking wastewater can exhibit high levels of radioactivity that pose a serious risk to human health. Wastewater spread on roads can expose workers and the public to unsafe levels of radioactivity, and chemical contaminants in the waste-water can be washed into and pollute streams and rivers and migrate into groundwater.

In 2017, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued revised regulations banning the use of waste from high-volume fracking on roadways, but continuing to  allow road spreading of other liquids from oil and gas drilling operations. Fifteen counties in New York have already banned the use of this waste on roads, and this legislation would prohibit their use in the entire state, along with codifying DEC’s 2017 prohibition on fracking waste.

Refer also to:

America’s Radioactive Secret: Oil & gas wells produce nearly a trillion gallons of toxic waste a year in America. It could be making workers sick and contaminating communities (in Canada too). “Us bringing this stuff to the surface is like letting out the devil … It is just madness.”

Fayette County, WV tried to break its energy industry dependence, banned disposal of drilling waste. Industry fought back, arguing communities don’t get a say (in being poisoned). The courts overruled the county’s common sense & public health protection. No matter how nasty judges get, take a stand! It’s always worth it!

USA oil & gas produced 1.02 trillion gallons wastewater in 2017 (2.8 billion gallons daily). “The fluid can be several times saltier than ocean water, and it can also be contaminated with drilling chemicals, minerals and radioactive material…. About 1% was reused…as drilling fluid or frack fluid.”

No one wants your frack salt! Antero Closes $300 Million Clearwater Facility to Re-evaluate Waste Water Processing

NE BC, near Dawson Creek: Explosion at Encana fracking water facility injures worker

Study: Oil Gas Industry Wastewater spread on roads to control dust & ice in at least 13 states, including Pennsylvania, poses threat to environment & human health; Ohio regulator tests on Aquasalina/Nature’s Own Source (made with frac waste, spread on roads, sold at Lowes and to cities for years) showed combined radium 226 & 228 exceeded USEPA Safe Drinking Water limits by average factor of 300

New York signs law prohibiting fracking, and oil, natural gas waste in city; Alberta & other jurisdictions allow it dumped in landfills, on roads, leases, near communities and water ways (perhaps in them, who’s checking?). NORM increasing because of unconventional oil & gas, “has become a much more significant health, safety and environmental issue”

Guzzle Up! Toxic radioactive frac waste water coming soon to a bottling depot, farm, berry patch, swimming pool, park pathway near you?

The DEregulation goes on and on and on: Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Major 2019 Goal: To Restore Program To Spread Well Waste Water On Roads (without oversight and keeping toxic chemical contents secret)

Will waste water kill fracing? EPA bans disposal of frac waste at public treatment plants. Injecting it causes seismicity, recycling it is costly, using it to irrigate and landspraying it contaminates food, dumping it into waterways kills fish, pits filled with it leak, breathing it in aerosols corrodes lungs. What will companies do with it?

Drilling and Fracing Bring Up Ammonium and Iodide, Researchers find alarming levels of these new contaminants in wastewater released into Pennsylvania and West Virginia streams while Range Resources settles with DEP for $1.75 Million

Australia: AGL’s irrigation trial using CBM (CSG) waste water found to be ‘unsustainable’ or too toxic? It “left behind” (on what?) unacceptably high levels of salt and heavy metals

Rural N.Y. Communities Use Fracking Waste to De-Ice Roads; Saying AquaSalina deicer “is” frac water instead of “contains” frac water leads to Duck Creek’s court win against Ohio women

Hydraulic Fracturing in Canada, Federal Environment Commissioner Scott Vaughan Reports Concerns, List of Fracking Substances in Canada Still Secret

Fracturing: Salts of trivalent chromium (Cr3 +) oxidized to hexavalent (Cr6 +) known as chromate

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