OPINION

Fracking waste must be dealt with responsibly

Poughkeepsie Journal Editorial Board

After wrestling with the issue for years, top state officials have made it clear that fracking won’t be allowed within New York’s borders, saying the health and environmental risks are too great.

So far, so good.

But what about the hundreds of thousands of tons of fracking waste coming into New York and being deposited in landfills throughout upstate? This issue, too, needs far more attention — and action.

A revealing, in-depth report from Environmental Advocates of New York analyzed state data from Pennsylvania showing where natural-gas drillers reported to take their waste. The analysis has shown that at least 460,000 tons and 23,000 barrels of waste from Pennsylvania drilling operations have been taken to New York landfills since 2010.

State environmental officials are downplaying the report from the environmental group, saying New York only allows landfills to accept drill cuttings and mud and prohibits landfills from collecting wastewater or sludges from high-volume hydraulic fracturing wells.

Still, Environmental Advocates and many others concerned about potential problems suggest the state get far deeper into these matters.

More of this waste should be deemed as hazardous and, thus, placed under a more restricted threshold of whether it can be dumped — and how.

Permitting processes for landfills should be consistent, and the rules must be both clear and strong. Testing should be increased to ensure there aren’t toxins from landfills winding up in water sources or wastewater treatment plants.

And there ought to be more disclosure about the oil and gas wastes that landfills have been accepting.

The state took years before making the far-reaching decision to ban fracking in New York. It would be remarkably dumb to make such a dramatic decision only to continue to allow the byproducts of the practice to be transported and then dumped into the state in ways that could foul the environment and ruin the water.

Report online

To see the report, go to http://www.eany.org/