[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45774-45775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18793]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6839-8]


Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program; Proposed Coal Bed 
Methane (CBM) Study Design

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting to receive comment on a study design 
for collecting information to assess environmental risks associated 
with the hydraulic fracturing of coal beds for methane gas recovery.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce that EPA intends to 
conduct a study of the environmental risks associated with hydraulic 
fracturing; EPA has drafted a design for the study and invites comment 
from the public on the study design; and, EPA will hold a public 
meeting to solicit input on the study design.
    Prior to 1997, EPA had not considered regulating hydraulic 
fracturing because the Agency believed that this well production 
stimulation process did not fall under the UIC program's purview, nor 
was it under the jurisdiction of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). In 
1994, the Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation (LEAF) challenged 
that interpretation by petitioning EPA to withdraw Alabama's EPA-
approved Section 1425 (SDWA) UIC program because LEAF believed the 
State should regulate hydraulic fracturing for coal bed methane 
development as underground injection. EPA rejected LEAF's petition, but 
LEAF litigated and in 1997, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 
that hydraulic fracturing of coal beds in Alabama should be regulated 
under the SDWA as underground injection (LEAF v. EPA, 118 F. 3d 1467). 
The State was required to modify its UIC program, and in December 1999, 
EPA approved this revision. Since the 11th Circuit Court's decision, 
EPA has received verbal and written reports from several environmental 
interest groups that practices associated with methane gas production 
from coal beds has resulted in contamination of their underground 
drinking water sources.
    Because of such reports, and because the frequency of coal bed 
methane development is rapidly escalating, EPA will conduct a study to 
evaluate the environmental risks to underground sources of drinking 
water, potential and actual, associated with hydraulic fracturing. The 
study will initially evaluate hydraulic fracturing of coal beds, 
however, EPA will also consider experiences with hydraulic fracturing 
associated with other types of production. EPA may later study a wider 
universe of hydraulic fracturing if information collected during this 
study indicates further investigation is warranted.
    The current study will estimate contamination incidents associated 
with hydraulic fracturing through interviews with State and local 
agencies responsible for drinking water protection, citizens, and 
industries performing hydraulic fracturing. The study will also include 
a literature review to provide information on the potential risks posed 
by hydraulic fracturing of coal beds in areas likely to be developed 
for methane gas production.
    EPA is requesting comments on the proposed study design from 
stakeholders interested in coal bed methane production. EPA believes 
receiving stakeholder input in the initial study design will assist it 
in conducting a comprehensive investigation in the most efficient and 
expeditious way possible.

DATES: A public meeting is scheduled for August 24, 2000, from 9:30 
a.m. to 4 p.m. EPA requests parties who plan to attend provide notice 
including name, title, organization, address, telephone, fax, and/or 
email by August 15, 2000, so that sufficient facilities can be made 
available. The meeting will be made available to remote locations 
through teleconferencing. Any person may also provide comment on the 
proposed study design in writing to EPA by August 25, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The proposed study can be viewed on EPA's Internet site at 
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/uic.html. Copies of the proposed study may 
be

[[Page 45775]]

obtained from EPA's Water Resource Center by phone at (202) 260-7786, 
or by e-mail to [email protected] or by conventional mail 
to EPA Water Resource Center, RC-4100, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. Notices to attend 
the public meeting and comments may be submitted to E. Barros, Horsley 
& Witten, Inc., 90 Route 6A, Sandwich, MA 02563, Fax: (508) 833-9140, 
E-mail: [email protected]. The August 24, 2000, public meeting 
will be held at the Omni Shoreham, 2500 Calvert Street, NW., 
Washington, DC, PH: (202) 234-0700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: L. Cronkhite, Ground Water Protection 
Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 4606, Ariel Rios 
Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, PH: 
(202) 260-0713.

    Dated: July 19, 2000.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 00-18793 Filed 7-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P