The idea behind deep well injection is to store toxic liquid under layers of rock, preventing it from contaminating the earth’s surface. Studies have shown, however, that this does not always happen. There have been many reports in the US of leakages that have sent toxic waste to the earth’s surface…
Keep Reading →
Phenol is a deadly chemical that is known to cause internal burns, muscle spasms and organ failure. So when, in 1989, employees of the Aristech Chemical Corp. got a whiff of the chemical while drilling a disposal well in Haverhill, Ohio, they knew something was not right. As it turned out, the well…
Keep Reading →
Deep well injection, the process of storing or disposing of liquids waste deep underground, may seem like a safe way to get rid of toxic waste, but it is fraught with risks. It has been known to cause problems such as underground leakage, as was the case in January 2021 in Hutchinson, Kansas in the…
Keep Reading →
In the poor community of DeBerry, Texas quite of number of oil and gas companies have set up injection wells to deposit their waste. Members of the community frequently complain that their potable water is polluted and one resident, Rev. David Hudson has been trying to get authorities to investigate…
Keep Reading →
Even as global warming and climate change continue to affect water supplies around the world, many US scientists and policy-makers turn a blind eye to the pollution caused by deep aquifers and continue to grant energy and mining companies approvals for deep well injections. They are of the…
Keep Reading →
An attempt by Uranium Energy Corp. for authorisation to begin a large-scale mining project in Goliad County, Texas seemed about to be denied by the EPA, until it became political. The company contracted the services of lobbyist Heather Podesta, who had worked with the Obama administration and the…
Keep Reading →
Legal framework and enforced regulations play a pivotal role in deep well injection, but there are times when regulators turn a blind eye to enforcement, resulting in risk to health and lives. Case in point, an explosion in January 2003 at a Class 2 injection well site in Rosharon, Texas that…
Keep Reading →
In every country, there is an official environmental body responsible for overseeing the enforcement of rules governing deep well injection, such as the Environmental Management Authority in Trinidad and Tobago and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the US. These bodies are responsible…
Keep Reading →
In the US, energy and mining companies are frequently given aquifer exemptions by the EPA, especially in Western states where water is scarce. Aquifer exemptions form part of the government’s Underground Injection Control Program. These exemptions, however, can be viewed as permission to pollute…
Keep Reading →
