Texas oil company allowed to take water from ponds instead of Amite River

NEW ORLEANS —While a Texas oil company was forbidden from withdrawing water from the Amite River last December, it will instead be allowed to take water from nearby ponds.




State agency blocks Texas oil company from withdrawing...




An estimated 12.6 million gallons of water intended for use in fracking will no longer be withdrawn from the Amite River in East Feliciana Parish.
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In December, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced that it had blocked a request from Texas-based Comstock Resources Inc. to remove more than 12 million gallons of water from the Amite River in East Feliciana Parish.

It's a decision officials with the Sierra Club hailed as a victory. But while it was stopped from withdrawing from the river, it was instead allowed to use water from nearby ponds for use in fracking oil and gas.

According to the LDWF, the decision is based on a five previous permits that allowed companies to withdraw water from protected bayous and rivers in the state for use in fracking. It's unclear whether the same amount of water will be removed.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the process of hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) begins with mixing large amounts of water with chemical additives. The mixture is injected into a well to create cracks in the ground that allow oil or gas to escape through the well to be collected at the surface.

READ: Texas Company Blocked from Withdrawing Water from Amite River

Water for use in fracking can be take from underground aquifers or lakes, ponds and streams. After the process, it is often disposed underground, treated and returned to "surface water bodies" or recycled for use in future fracking operations.

While there's not much that can be done now, with the permits set to remain in place, environmentalists and industrialists are waiting to see how Louisiana officials will respond to future requests for fracking wells.

http://www.wdsu.com/news/local-news/...river/30532942