Scientists drawn to CBM
"For example, DEQ regulators asked Anadarko Petroleum to put some of its coalbed methane water into Skewed Reservoir so they could monitor if, how and what happens when the water soaks back into the ground. The water did infiltrate, but it also leached undesirable chemicals out of the upper soils and violated a DEQ standard.
Because there was a violation, DEQ asked Anadarko to stop the discharge. But that also meant that scientists didn't get to see how long it might take for the chemical imbalance to flush out and naturally correct."
By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER
Star-Tribune energy reporter
Friday, August 20, 2004 12:06 AM MDT
LARAMIE -- Ever wonder how scientific research in coalbed methane gas turns into public policy? Here's one of the painful, but very important, steps.
Water/soil/organism samples have already been gathered, analyzed, probed and otherwise thoroughly and scientifically researched. Then on Thursday, a group of about 100 geochemists, hydrologists, regulators and various other "ologists" broke into four working groups to draft lists of "actionable" priorities. Then they pored over the language when they all reconvened in the afternoon.
One priority question was, "What is the change in hydrograph of system? (related to water quality)."
It was changed to this: "What is the change in hydrograph of system? (related to water quality and quantity).
Zzzzzzzz
Well wake up. Because this is how scientists and regulators are translating tons of research documents into rules that could prevent a pollution or financial train wreck in Wyoming.
"Things are happening really fast in this gas play. And they're happening right now. ... We're going to have other production areas for coalbed methane in other areas in Wyoming, so this information will still be useful," said Greg Oberley of the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 8 office in Denver.
Oberley was among 300 professionals who took part in the Ruckelshaus Institute's first annual "Coalbed Natural Gas Research, Monitoring and Applications Conference" this week at the University of Wyoming.
More than 50 different ongoing research projects were discussed during the three-day conference. The scientists and regulators agreed that they know a lot about soil, water and living organisms, but they don't know much about how to share their information or make sure it's put to good use.
How do we make sure our research doesn't unnecessarily overlap? Where are the information gaps? And when we fill them, how are we going to share the information? And how does this information translate into regulation?
"Maybe we need better collaboration," said Gary Beach, a special projects specialist for the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.
Ruckelshaus officials say collaboration is the point of their new endeavor into coalbed methane gas issues. Much of the regulation guiding the industry is without "baseline" information, and the science seems to be running along side, if not behind, the drillers and the environmental impacts.
And then there are hurdles along the way.
For example, DEQ regulators asked Anadarko Petroleum to put some of its coalbed methane water into Skewed Reservoir so they could monitor if, how and what happens when the water soaks back into the ground. The water did infiltrate, but it also leached undesirable chemicals out of the upper soils and violated a DEQ standard.
Because there was a violation, DEQ asked Anadarko to stop the discharge. But that also meant that scientists didn't get to see how long it might take for the chemical imbalance to flush out and naturally correct.
"You can see where the problem is going to be," said John Wagner, administrator of DEQ's Water Quality Division. "Even if it's a public entity doing it (violating a DEQ standard)."
Another problems is dueling science. Regulators complained that industry and conservation groups commission their own research and this is the science that is dragged into courtrooms to push policy one way or another.
Wagner called it "offense" and "defense" research, and he also suspects there might be good research that is never shared because it didn't support one group's desires.
"And there's no knowledge between those two, and that's what needs to be fixed," Wagner said.
Energy reporter Dustin Bleizeffer can be reached at (307) 682-3388. |
