Category Archives: Radioactivity

WVU Research Says Fracking Waste is Not Very Radioactive

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WVU Test Wells

WVU Test Wells, Morgantown in the background

West Virginia University has been drilling and fracking two research wells.  They are using the same techniques that the industry uses and doing science on it all.

One conclusion they reached is that the cuttings (crushed rock brought to the surface) are not very radioactive at all.  They believe this was influenced at least in part by using a particular drilling mud.  The conclusion about radioactivity is interesting in light of the recent Kentucky investigation into the radioactivity levels of West Virginia fracking waste.

Another conclusion they reached was that produced water is not safe to drink or discharge into streams.  No surprise there.

The nice thing about this project is that it’s not funded by either the industry or environmentalists.  It’s paid for by the University.  That doesn’t mean that someone on the team isn’t biased, but hopefully the science will be done with a minimum of bias.  We’re looking forward to seeing more of their work reported in the future.

Radioactive Fracking Waste

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Radioactive Waste

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services says that tests which it had done show levels of radioactivity in Marcellus shale waste which are too high for disposal in regular Kentucky landfills.  The tests were done at a West Virginia company which prepares waste from locations in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.  That makes pinpointing the source of the radiation difficult for the rest of us.

The investigation is ongoing, apparently, as a lawyer for the Cabinet stopped Curt Pendergrass, the supervisor of the Cabinet’s radioactive materials branch, from continuing to talk on the subject.

It will be interesting to follow the radioactivity discussion in the future.  Previously we were under the impression that the levels of radioactivity that came from the Marcellus shale were too low to affect anything.  There’s a little chunk of Marcellus shale on a shelf here in our office.