Great Water

Protect Michigan Water from Unsafe Drilling

Natural gas drilling has been known to contaminate groundwater in other states, including Pennsylvania and Wyoming,
where communities have reported carcinogenic chemicals in their water supply and drinking water.¹ The chemicals found in the waterways are known to be used in nearby natural gas wells. Michigan has the opportunity to act before we inadvertently contaminate our own rivers, streams and groundwater from hydraulic fracturing.

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¹Pro Publica. “EPA: Chemicals Found in Wyo. Drinking Water Might Be From Fracking.” http://www.propublica.org/article/epa-chemicals-found-in-wyo.-drinking-w.... August 25, 2009.

For centuries, Michigan’s long shoreline, land, water, and people have been part of the steady progression of natural resource development. Our state’s long-standing tradition of drilling for oil and gas began in the 1930s when oil and gas reserves were discovered in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula.¹

The method that has been used extensively for many years to extract gas is called hydraulic fracturing or fracking, a term specific to deep shale drilling. Fracking is a process in which a high pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals is flushed down a pipeline in order to open up small fissures in the underground rock formations to release the natural gas stored there. These small fissures are then widened by the pressure of the fluid mixture, and the gas is pumped back up the pipeline to the surface.

Historically, fracking has always occurred at relatively shallow levels of 500 to 2,000 feet, and has not required a substantial amount of water to pump the gas back to the surface. While the fracking process has evolved, though, it allowed for deeper and updated technologies to extract natural gas. With this advanced technology, the amount of water and undisclosed chemicals used to extract the gas has increased.

Unfortunately, the guidelines regulating the extraction process have not kept pace. It is essential that the oil and gas industries be held to the same standards as other industries who are in the business of using large amounts of Great Lakes water.  In 2008, the Great Lakes Compact was put in place to manage and regulate the growing amount of large quantity water withdrawals from industries. In addition, each individual natural gas well produces millions of gallons of wastewater, called
“flowback,” which is then deposited into deep injection wells. At present, these wells are not subject to the highest monitoring and testing requirements because the fluids are designated as oil and gas waste, and this designation results in less protective requirements. There are no requirements to analyze the constituents in the fluids prior to injection.

There are four major concerns with natural gas exploration in Michigan²:

1. Millions of gallons of fresh water are used to “frack.” Without proper monitoring, this massive water use may contribute to emptying wells, springs and wetlands, drops in lake levels, and reduced stream flow.

2. The chemicals that are mixed with sand and water and pumped directly through fragile aquifers to extract the gas are not required to be disclosed to the public, and may be hazardous to our drinking water.

3. If the injection wells used to contain waste water are not constructed, operated, and monitored correctly there is a risk of contamination to drinking water.

4. Harmful air emissions from construction equipment, fracking equipment, and unintentional gas leaks all pose notable threats to air quality and drinking water.

To date, there are no reported cases of contaminated water due to natural gas exploration in Michigan. We remain in a unique position to proactively prevent such contamination.  If deep drilling or fracking increases in Michigan without proper regulation there is legitimate concern that Michigan’s water, wildlife, and citizens may be exposed to these hazardous chemicals, and suffer from massive amounts of large quantity water withdrawals.  Contaminated drinking water is not only a threat to our health, but may result in potential loss in property value, with ultimate results in a decrease in tourism and economic development.We remain in a unique position to proactively prevent such
contamination.

¹ Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. “About Michigan’s Natural Gas Industry: Exploration and Production.”
² Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. “Natural Gas Drilling and Water.”

April, 2012: The House introduces a bill to require public disclosure of chemicals in hydraulic fracturing. Read more about the bill here.

November, 2011: Michigan House Democrats introduce legislation to put a delay on fracking.  Read more about the bill here.

October, 2011: Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and National Wildlife Federation release informational sheets on Hydraulic Fracturing. 

September, 2011: Environmental Groups call for public comment on dangers of fracking in the House Subcommitte on Natural Gas. Read the press release here. 

September, 2011: The Michigan DEQ took early voluntary steps to improve the disclsoure of information of fracking. They will now post online all of the hazardous substances found in reportable quantities on the site, as well as posting the internal processes used to evaluate water withdrawals. Michigan LCV, Michigan Environmental Council, and Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council posted a press release.

July, 2011: Detroit became the first city to pass a resolution to ban fracking.

July, 2011: Currently, environmental groups are working with legislators to develop chemical disclosure bills. In addition, Sierra Club, is asking for a delay in fracking until studies are completed, while Michigan's Food and Water Watch is asking for a ban. 

June, 2011: Groups including National Wildlife Federation, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Michigan Environmental Council and Tip of the Mitt Watershed sent a letter to the DEQ clarifying these instructions and addressing some concerns. Read the DEQ response here.

June, 2011: the Department of Environmental Quality released new permitting and reporting instructions for hydraulic fracturing in Michigan. While a small step, the instructions proved inadequate to protecting our freshwater.

Novemeber, 2010: Environmental groups across the state signed on to a letter expressing concerns about hydraulic fracturing and reccomended regulations. Supervisor of Wells and ex-Director of DNRE, Rebecca Humphries received this letter and responded positively,  but has since left the position. Environmental groups are holding numerous meetings with administrative officials including the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality and Office of Geological Survey (OGS), and continue to work closely with these regulatory agencies to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the fracking process.