Fracking waste disposal on farmland questioned December 16, 2013, Radio New Zealand News
The Canadian province of Alberta has contradicted the claims of the Taranaki Regional Council that it allows fracking waste to be applied to farms. In Taranaki the waste is from fracking is controversially being applied to farmland – an operation known as land-farming. Fracking is the mining process that involves the high-pressure injection of water and a cocktail of chemicals far below the earth’s surface to access oil and gas. The regional council says it bases its practice of putting the waste on farmland on what Alberta is doing. Director of environment quality Gary Bedford says the council knows the practice is safe because in addition to carrying out its own testing, it is following the lead of the Canadian province. But the Alberta Energy Regulator has told Radio New Zealand it does not allow fracking waste to be applied to farmland and insists it be disposed of in industrial waste facilities. It says fracking waste, as opposed to waste from traditional drilling operations, is not suitable for agricultural land. The Ministry for Primary Industries was not immediately available for comment. [Emphasis added]
[Refer also to:
New Zealand milk dumped as toxic oil and gas drilling mud taints 14 Fonterra tankers
Fonterra to stop taking milk from farms with oil and gas waste
Special report: Livestock falling ill in fracking regions, raising concerns about food
Photos below at FrackingCanada
All that waste has to go somewhere – drilling waste spread on agricultural land in Alberta, October 2013
Oilfield waste dumping (days after the dumping, the waste on the road was still black and reeked of diesel) on a public road in Rocky View County, Alberta Canada – LIPG member company, NAL, attempted to clean their mess up as a ‘good neighbor’ gesture. Alberta’s Energy Regulator did not inspect the dumping, even after citizens reported it.
Oil companies spray a road in Rocky View County, Alberta, with frac waste?
More spray by oil companies on public roads in winter in the frac’d area of the Lochend, Rocky View County, Alberta. Companies and officials claim the spay is to control dust. Snow packed, gravel roads do not require dust control.