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Coal Mine Water Is Plentiful and Its Use Is Technically Feasible, but Quality Remains a Concern

• The roundtable panelists and participants were in agreement that there are large quantities of coal mine water in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania -- much more than could be used in the coming decade for hydraulic fracturing.
• The chemical properties of this water vary greatly between sites and even sometimes within a site. Thus, the likelihood that industry will consider it an attractive source of water will depend on details that are specific to each mine water source, each company, and each natural gas extraction site.
• Sources of coal mine water appear to be located relatively close to hydraulic fracturing operations. However, site-specific characterization would be required to assess logistical feasibility on a case-by-case basis.

Further Research Could Clarify the Viability and Facilitate the Use of Coal Mine Drainage

• A lack of data makes it difficult to determine the logistical and technical requirements of approaches to using drainage from abandoned and actively managed coal mines in Pennsylvania for hydraulic fracturing operations. There is a need for a comprehensive database on the locations and quality of these water sources.
• A site-by-site assessment of the costs and transportation needs of coal mine drainage could support industry decisionmaking regarding the cost-effectiveness of such sources relative to that of fresh water.
• Reinterpreting or modifying current legislation to alleviate or remove barriers, specifically in terms of liability for legacy cleanup efforts, could help increase industry receptiveness to such approaches.