Questions raised as landfill seeks to increase intake of Marcellus drilling waste
Posted by CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE at 6:52 AMChemung County officials see tons of solid waste pulled from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania as an asset, although some residents disagree.
The waste includes cuttings and mud produced by energy companies boring through the Marcellus south of the Chemung County border. Because it's regulated as solid waste, drill operators pay to get rid of it, and officials managing the Chemung County Landfill welcome it as a revenue source.
The relationship raises more questions of how Marcellus waste -- which tends to contain radioactive particles and heavy metals -- will be regulated and handled as multinational energy companies begin full-scale development of the massive natural gas reserve stretching throughout Appalachia and parts of New York.
While the state Department of Environmental Conservation has approved Chemung's acceptance of the drilling waste, opponents question whether it belongs in a municipal landfill.
(Click to read the entire article)