Even with intensive recycling, some wastewater must be eventually be disposed of, either treated in
such a way that it can be released safely back into the environment, or removed permanently from the
water cycle. The revised Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) on hydraulic
fracturing of shales like the Marcellus outlines a few options for the final disposal of drilling wastewater, including: injection into a storage well; treatment in a New York municipal sewage treatment facility that is permitted to accept both industrial waste and drilling wastewater; shipment to a treatment plant in another state; or processing in a privately owned facility subject to the same standards as publicly owned facilities. Proposed NY DEC regulations will require a formal
fluid disposal plan for each drilling site. Such plans must include information on both transportation of the fluid and the method of ultimate disposal. Options could be added or eliminated when the final SGEIS is released.