DEQ outlines standards for water quality

Tuesday night's meeting with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the citizens of Hot Springs County had the school auditorium nearly filled to capacity with people wanting to know what is really going on and seeking answers to their questions.

Some of those questions were answered during the three-hour meeting, but a lot of other questions were left unanswered.

Kevin Fredrick from the DEQ started the public meeting by laying out a few ground rules for the evening and explaining they would start with a presentation on how the numbers were figured for the discharge water and for the dissolved solids.

He reminded the crowd there are national level rules for pollution of waters along with state rules.

The next portion of the evening would allow for one hour of questions and answers from those in attendance, and finishing with an hour for folks to make prepared statements, which were recorded to go into the permanent record.

In the presentation, Bill Dorenzo, manager of the DEQ's discharge permit, provided information on the modeling Aethon used in order to come up with the numbers using field measurements from Boysen Reservoir.

According to the numbers, which were made to simulate flow rates in the reservoir from 1995-2016 from nine main streams, the point source pollution would be below DEQ standards for all naturally occurring substances such as chloride, boron, barium, sodium and sulfates.

The 40-mile distance from the first fall or where the treated water would come out to the reservoir itself is said to be a far enough distance that the levels will remain below standards set by the state.

The field, while under Encana, attempted to drill an injection well and failed, then built the Neptune water treatment facility in order to send the water directly to the reservoir through surface means, mainly Alkalai and Bad Water creeks.

Erosion was an issue, but quarterly monitoring of the erosion on the two creeks is being done and will continue to be monitored throughout the life of the Aethon project.

In order to meet the needs of the millions of gallons of water proposed by Aethon, at least five more plants will have to be built.

During the question and answer period, the question arose asking how the company can ensure the health and safety of the people when they aren't monitoring benzene and other chemicals.

Dorenzo said they aren't monitoring the two creeks for those chemicals since they aren't drinking water sources or fish sources. He indicated benzene in particular evaporates easily, so monitoring at the mixing zone in Boysen is a better choice.

They also questioned the high numbers used in the modeling and how the DEQ could say no deviation is going to go on in the Wind River.

Dorenzo said the regulation means no new direct influence. It wouldn't allow for a discharge point anywhere between the dam and the Wedding of the Waters. In addition, the watershed above the dam includes Riverton, Lander and Dubois so the deviation question wouldn't be applicable there, either.

He added there was very little data available for some of the chemicals from as far back as the 70s. "Technology wasn't as up to date and we have much better detection now than we did back then," he said.

When asked who would be responsible for the testing, Dorenzo said the majority of the sampling will be done by Aethon itself. The samples will be taken and sent to a certified lab. The DEQ then gets the results and sends out their own people periodically to make sure the results are correct.

At that, the group loudly insisted there should be independent testing done, not by Aethon.

A question about dam failure was raised. It is an earthen dam and if it failed, everything would be dumped into the Wind River. Dorenzo admitted there was no contingency plan for that, saying the permit is only for five years at a time, so he didn't feel a contingency plan was needed.

He was also asked if Aethon would be required to have the water treatment plants up and running before increasing discharge.

Dorenzo said Aethon would be able to discharge up to about two-million gallons per day with no treatment. Over that amount, they will have to build additional treatment plants. They would be monitored by the DEQ.

It was also stated the Neptune plant is only working intermittently.

Aethon Energy comments

The Independent Record contacted Tom Nelson, VP of Operations Support with Aethon Energy. He sent the following comments about Aethon's commitment to environmental stewardship.

"Gas, produced water, and hydrocarbon liquids are separated at the wellsite or are gathered into central separation facilities. The produced water is further processed or treated prior to being surface discharged in compliance with limits established by the Wyoming DEQ in the WYPDES permit."

Nelson added, "The proposed WYPDES permit will continue to ensure that the quality of water in Boysen Reservoir and in the upstream creeks (where this produced water is used directly for livestock & wildlife) will be maintained or even improved. In the event that development activity increases the volume of produced water for discharge, the proposed permit will result in an increased quality of the discharged water."

"Aethon is committed to environmental stewardship and to providing a sustainable source of water for reuse by ranchers and wildlife," noted Nelson.

Nelson also mentioned that the literature available from the WDEQ contains details of the extensive modeling that was undertaken by ERM (a consultant engineering firm) in conjunction with the WDEQ. The model was conservative and used many years of data regarding the quality, volumes, and sources of water going into and out of Boysen Reservoir. This modeling provides the basis from which the new WYPDES permit limits can be established, and is protective of the Boysen Reservoir and downstream water bodies.

The public is still allowed to make statements to the DEQ until the fifth of July.

Comments can be done online on the Wyoming Department of Water Quality's website by clicking on the public comment tab, or by mail to the Department of Environmental Quality Headquarters, Water Quality Division, 200 West 17th Street, Cheyenne, 82002.