On Tuesday, April 7, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register for regulation of wastewater from unconventional oil and gas operations (“UOG”), which includes hydraulic fracturing.  The rule, titled “Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category,” is a Clean Water Act (“CWA”) regulation and imposes pretreatment requirements for existing and new sources.  In accordance with the prescribed standards, oil and gas operators would be required to pretreat their wastewater fluid before it is transferred into publicly owned utilities.  The proposed rule contains technology-based pretreatment standards.
Continue Reading USEPA Releases Proposed Rule on Fracking Wastewater Treatment; Says There Will be No Costs to Industry