Shale drillers eager to move wastewater on barges

By Emily DeMarco | PublicSource | Dec. 16, 2012

The shale gas drilling industry wants to move its wastewater by barge on rivers and lakes across the country. But the U.S. Coast Guard, which regulates the nation’s waterways, must first decide whether it’s safe.

“It may be hazardous,” said Commander Michael Roldan, chief of the Coast Guard’s Hazardous Material Division, stressing the word ‘may.’ “If it is, it would not be allowed to ship under bulk.”

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* PublicSource broke the news of the Coast Guard's proposed policy; it was the first time I 'broke' anything, let alone something with such national scope. The story was republished by newspapers across Pennsylvania and national news outlets, including EcoWatch and Transportation Nation. It received second place for environmental reporting among non-daily publications from the Society for Professional Journalists, Keystone Pro Chapter.