As part of its “Draft 2010 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan,” EPA is committing to develop new regulations focused on setting national pretreatment standards for wastewater discharges associated with natural gas extraction based on technically achievable and cost effective technologies. Although many pretreatment requirements already exist, EPA has determined that additional requirements specific to natural gas extraction practices must be evaluated. Pretreatment standards require producers to adequately treat wastewater prior to transfer to water treatment facilities to prevent contaminant pass-through or interference with other wastewater treatment processes. Pretreatment also ensures that contamination will not occur when direct discharges (if allowed) are made to receiving water bodies.
Separate pretreatment standards will be developed for coal bed methane and shale gas extraction activities to account for significant differences in the processes. Because much more historical information is already available about coal bed methane extraction, EPA plans to propose related regulations in 2013. Regulations governing shale gas extraction practices, including those associated with hydraulic fracturing, are targeted for a 2014 proposal. Final regulations typically follow within 18 months of proposed regulations.