The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering whether to introduce new federal rules on wastewater management in the oil and gas industry, reports Oil & Gas Journal.
The EPA is studying existing policies and rules, taking account of new approaches to wastewater management that are emerging, said officials at a public meeting at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Existing effluent guidelines for oil and gas apply to onshore operations at the wellhead, and centralised wastewater treatment facilities, but do not cover reuse in oil fields, or disposal in Class II injection wells.
The aim is to produce a white paper in early 2019, including addressing the topic of re-adding treated wastewater to the hydrological cycle.