IADC, IPAA challenge US EPA CBM proposal

IADC, IPAA and affiliated producer associations have responded to the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan for assessing potential damage to water resources from wastewater discharge in coalbed methane operations heavily concentrated in the western US. The stated purpose of the proposal is to “evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency.”

Industry’s position is that the states have and use delegated authority under the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System to manage and regulate such discharges, therefore a new level of potential federal regulation isn’t justified. Industry also points out that EPA is using a national industrial model for analyzing wastewater discharges, where industrial processes contaminate the water in predictable ways. In contrast, CBM-produced water comes from the coalbed formation, and there’s no ability to alter initial water quality.

For more information, contact Brian Petty at 1/202-293-0670 (brian.petty@iadc.org).