Thursday, September 26, 2019

Study Finds Oilfield Wastewater Migrates to Nearby Groundwater

A U.S. Geological Survey study has found oilfield wastewater in western Kern County has seeped its way into three nearby aquifers and made them saltier. The produced water comes up with oil as its pumped up and must be disposed of or treated. Data gathered from groundwater monitoring shows how wastewater from ponding basins and injection wells has already migrated up to a mile away from the disposal source. Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.