NRDC joins coalition demanding EPA regulation on drilling, fracking waste disposal

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) this week joined a coalition of environmental organizations in filing a legal notice with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the disposal of waste from drilling and fracking.

“Oil and gas waste is extremely dangerous—yet the EPA admitted decades ago that federal rules are inadequate to protect the public,” NRDC Attorney Matthew McFeeley said. “The scary truth is that right now this waste—complete with carcinogens and radioactive material—is being dumped irresponsibly or disposed of like everyday household garbage. Toxic waste should not be sent to run-of-the-mill landfills, sprayed on our roads and fields, or stored in open air pits.”

The NRDC joins the Environmental Integrity Project, Earthworks, Responsible Drilling Alliance, San Juan Citizens Alliance, West Virginia Surface Owners Rights Organization and the Center for Health, Environment and Justice. The coalition’s letter informs the EPA that it will file a lawsuit in 60 days if the agency does not update its regulations on oil and gas waste.

“We’re asking that EPA finally do what it found to be necessary back in 1988: update the regulations for oil and gas wastes,” Environmental Integrity Project Attorney Adam Kron said. “The oil and gas industry has grown rapidly since then, and yet EPA has repeatedly shirked its duties for nearly three decades. The public deserves better protection than this.”