Environmental News Citizens outraged over methane mining damages New technology and demand for During the same month, the small channels cannot handle the cleaner fuels are driving a boom in Montana Board of Oil and Gas sudden, large influxes of water, coal bed methane wells in the U.S. agreed to a moratorium on new and they are eroding, carrying Rocky Mountains. But, the large permits in response to a lawsuit sediment into the main stem of amounts of water used in the profiled by the Northern Plains Rerivers, he said. cess is virtually unregulated, and source Council, charging that the These discharges typically conwater discharged from methane state should not issue permits for tain 30-50 times the amount of wells in Wyoming and Montana wells until an Environmental Imsodium in local streams, added Jim could permanendy damage pact Statement is completed. Bauder, soil scientist with Montana streams and soils, say environmenState University. The high sodium New technology pioneered in talists. Citizen challenges that were content makes the water from die the United States over the past 20 launched this spring against methane wells unsuitable for irriyears allows companies to drill cies in those two states are nudggation. However, there is no federal wells that witiidraw water from ing regulators toward putting the standard for sodium. Wyoming has coal seams, reducing hydrostatic brakes on methane development. a "narrative" rule in place, but it essentially cannot be enforced unBecause methane til the damage has burns more cleanly been done said Jack and efficiendy than Smith with Wyootiier fossil fuels and ming's DEQ. releases lower levels of carbon dioxide per And state and fedBTU, demand is proeral governments lack jected to increase drathe authority to regumatically over the next late the quantity of 20 years, said Charles water discharged from Nelson, organic chemist the wells, Wuerthele with the Gas Research Inadded. CWA water stitute. It is used in home quality permits are not heating, by electric utility typically used to conWyoming DEQ plants and in special natutrol discharge quantity, ral gas vehicles. except where a maxiLarge volumes of methane well water rush into outfall pipes (lowmum pollutant load has er left) and into Burger Draw, a tributary to the Powder River, causThe Powder River Baing sediment deposition, salt crusting and iron staining. been established, he sin that spans the Wyonoted. But poor water ming-Montana border is quality, affected by large influxes, one of the most active coal bed pressure and drawing out the can be regulated after the fact, exmédiane sites in the world, where methane. First, water under presplained Smith. A mining company the number of wells is projected to sure is injected into the coal bed to may be discharging fairly good grow from more than 1500 to induce fractures; wells dien draw quality water. But due to its huge nearly 30,000 in die next 20 years, water stored in the coal aquifer out volume, "suddenly that nice clean according to U.S. Bureau of Land of the fractures. The reduction in receiving water further downManagement estimates. hydrostatic pressure in the coal stream is getting larger amounts of seam releases methane that had Although companies in the sediment or picking UD natural so been adsorbed onto the coal. United States dominate producdium and tiiat water boctv is no tion, Australia, China, and Britain Along with the methane, the longer meeting its permit" levels are also producing methane from average well pumps over 6 milSmith said coal beds, Nelson said. lion gallons of water per year, said PRBRC staff organizer Cheryl In April, the Wyoming DepartWyoming has asked the oil and Phinney. And in Wyoming and ment of Environmental Quality gas industry to provide information Montana, the water, rich with (DEQ) put 77 well permits on concerning methane well water natural sodium, is typically alhold after the Powder River Basin impacts on irrigated soils, said lowed to run over the land into Resource Council (PRBRC), a citiMaggie Davison, a supervisor with the nearest body of water. zen group, complained that the Wyoming's DEQ. Montana is also high sodium content of the water developing new permits that will The sheer volume of the disdischarged from the wells was indirecdy cap increased stream charges has harmed the Powder harming the arid environment by flow through dilution ratios tiiat River Basin, an arid area with eroding stream channels, pollutlimit the volume of discharges into highly erosive soils, said Bill ing soils with sodium, and violatstreams, said Abe Horpestad, with Wuerthele, environmental engiing the Clean Water Act (CWA). Montana's DEQ. —JANET PELLEY neer with EPA's Region 8. The 2 9 4 A • JULY 1, 2000/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY/NEWS
