Exxon subsidiary charged with wastewater dumping

A subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corp, XTO Energy, has been charged with the illegal dumping of wastewater created through the process of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in 2010. The company will face criminal charges for the dumping of over 50,000 gallons of wastewater at the Pennsylvania, US, Marcellus Shale site.

XTO Energy Inc is being charged with discharging wastewater from waste tanks at the site. The discharge was discovered when the Department of Environmental Protection made an unannounced visit to the site and detected pollution. It was found that a plug had been removed from a tank, causing the wastewater to run into the ground. The contamination then spread to a stream in the area.

Wastewater produced during the process of fracking contains a number of chemicals and heavy metals, including strontium, chlorides, aluminium and barium, which can be highly damaging to the environment. 

After a preliminary hearing the judge decided that the company will face eight charges for the discharge, including violations of the Solid Waste Management Act and the Clean Streams Law. Magisterial district judge James Carn said that the charges will "held for court", which means that there is possibly enough information for criminal charges to be brought against XTO Energy.

Criminal charges were filed in September 2013 by the Attorney General for Pennsylvania for the spilling of 57,000 gallons of contaminated water. However, the subsidiary company has contested the criminal charges due to the fact that no continuous environmental effect has been found since the leak and the charges could discourage guilty companies from undertaking practices that are positive for the environment.

XTO Energy also said that quick action was taken to clean up the wastewater spill once it had been discovered. The company agreed to pay civil penalties of a reasonable amount in July 2013 and to half the amount of drilling wastewater it produces.

The contamination from fracking wastewater is why the process of drilling for natural gas has received so much opposal from environmental groups.