Report to Congress: Management of Wastes from the Exploration, Development, and Production of Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Geothermal Energy. Volume 2. Geothermal Energy

摘要

Section 3001(b) (2) (A) of the 1980 Amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) temporarily exempted several types of solid waste from regulation under the Federal hazardous waste control program. These exempted waste included 'drilling fluids, produced waters, and other wastes associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil or natural gas or geothermal energy.' Section 8002(m) of the RCRA Amendments requires EPA to study these wastes and submit a final report to Congress. The report responds to those requirements. It includes: (1) a description of the geothermal energy industry, including description of geothermal resources; (2) identification and characterization of geothermal energy wastes; (3) descriptions of waste management practices; (4) assessment of risks associated with geothermal operations; (5) descriptions of current regulatory programs; (6) conclusions and recommendations; and (7) a bibliography of references.