GROUNDWATER MONITORING AT THE PAVILLION, WYOMING NATURAL GAS FIELD

The EPA investigated complaints of taste and odor problems in drinking water wells where hydraulic fracturing operations were occurring near Pavillion, Wyoming. The EPA conducted a field investigation, including drilling two deep monitor wells, concluding that constituents associated with hydraulic fracturing had impacted the drinking water aquifer. Following extensive technical criticism, EPA stated the draft report would not undergo peer review, that it would not rely on the conclusions, and that it had relinquished its lead role in the investigation to the State of Wyoming for further investigation without resolving the source of the taste and odor problem. A review of the events leading up to the EPA decision suggests that much of the criticism could have been avoided through improved pre-project planning and more rigorous peer review. However, collecting baseline groundwater quality data prior to initiating hydraulic fracturing would have been an effective way to evaluate potential impacts.