The Ulster County Executive sends a message to the gas industry. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports Mike Hein has taken a stand against hydrofracking "brine" ---
Brine is a concoction of substances sprayed on roadways in winter as a de-icer, in summer as a way of keeping down dust. The practice began several years ago - in Pennsylvania. Ulster County Executive Mike Hein wants to be sure NO brine is spread on local roadways.
Hein today issued Executive Order Number One of 2012, which will ban the purchase of any liquid waste product from hydraulic fracturing operations (fracking waste brine) or the use of such fracking brine by any part of Ulster County government.
Hein explained that his action is a preventative measure intended to compensate for the time it will take for the Ulster County Legislature to adopt a local law banning the use of fracking waste brine by County government. He emphasized that Ulster County currently does not use any hydrofracking waste products on County roads.
The DEC maintains that any brine currently used on the roads is a mix of salt and water from salt domes and naturally occuring salt wells, and not connected with fracking fluid. Officials say the recommendations in the draft SGEIS specifically prohibit the use of Marcellus Shale production brine from high-volume hydraulically fractured wells as road spray.
