Far from a messy, harmful process, 21st century fracking is a precise science. So, too, is the process of removing any potential contaminates from the soil at a drilling site. Known as soil remediation, this process can happen on- or off-site, but the methods employed by each option are not equally effective. There have been some claims about remediation that are not entirely accurate. Clarifying facts about soil remediation will help Coloradans be more environmentally conscious and embrace the next generation of remediation technology.
The future of soil remediation is a natural, onsite method called bioremediation, which uses a proprietary blend of bacteria and fungi mixed directly into the soil. The organic mix dissolves contaminants so that when the process is finished, the newly enriched soil is in better shape for farmers to grow crops than before energy development occurred.
The science behind combining different bacteria and fungi to clean soil is highly technical, but the advancements in the field speak clearly: Iinstead of two to three months, a bioremediation operation that happens on-location takes less than a week for light crudes. Even heavy crudes and large projects only take two to three weeks to clean to industry regulations.
The alternative method to an on-location process is soil extraction, in which soil is taken to an off-site location for cleaning. Once there, the soil typically undergoes a thermal procedure that vaporizes contaminants. The soil is then transported back to the original site. Ironically, this transport requires a significant amount of fossil fuels consumed by large trucks, and adds a moving cost not required by on-site cleaning.
Trucking expenses and the associated traffic and noise to the surrounding community aren’t the biggest concerns with off-site remediation, though. There is a lack of accountability when soil leaves the drilling site, and a soil extraction company can cut corners to prioritize profit over the environment.
First, moving the soil to an off-site location where permanent equipment is installed saves the extraction company money and effort. Once the soil arrives at a treatment plant, it could be mixed with clean soil right away. By adding new soil without contaminants, the overall levels of potentially-harmful chemicals drop. Put simply, diluting vinegar with clean water doesn’t actually remove the vinegar, it just makes the vinegar less concentrated. The same is true when fresh soil is added to soil from an extraction site, producing the appearance of cleaner soil without actually removing contaminants. Then, less heat is used to clean the soil, resulting in a process that’s neither thorough nor transparent.
The second scenario is when soil hauled off for remediation is simply replaced with contaminant-free soil, finishing the work at the drilling site but leaving truckloads of the originally-extracted soil potentially in a landfill elsewhere, potentially partially cleaned.
Coloradans care about their beautiful natural landscape. It’s why our state has some of the toughest oil and gas regulations in the country, and why safer, cleaner fracking technology is adopted here each year. Remediation efforts should be similarly evaluated for their stewardship of the environment. Bioremediation is the most natural, ethical, and environmentally responsible solution to support safe energy development across the state.
Alex Mateo is the CEO of Rem-Tech+, which is dedicated to environmental responsibility, sustainable product research, and highly efficient agronomic solutions.
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