WorldWide Drilling Resource

Environmental Monitoring by Thomas Kwader, Ph.D., PG Proposed Cut in Federal Program Threatens our Groundwater Aquifers The Trump Administration is proposing to cut the funding for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) program next year (2018) by nearly half, from $92 million to $47 mil- lion. The cut is part of the President’s program to reduce the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) LUST budget by 31%. The LUST program is responsible for the monitoring, prevention, enforcement, and cleanup of leaks from gasoline and other tanks, as well as the important role the EPA plays in providing technical assistance to state regulators and businesses who have aging tanks and pipes under their sites. This program has made great progress in identifying and cleaning up contaminated sites which have impacted soil and groundwater over the last 25 years. The program has helped identify the sites causing the most harm to ground- water and human health exposure. Some of the contaminants are known carcino- gens and can travel great distances over time. The program has also developed better designs for monitoring the integrity of storage tank construction to detect early leaks, if a leak were to occur. Experts fear reducing program funding could reverse the progress made to protecting our groundwater, which could also increase threats to human health. As a professional hydrogeologist and my involvement in the assessment and cleanup of many contaminated sites for more than 30 years, I can tell you cleaning up of contaminated soil and groundwater is very expensive, and it is near impos- sible to cleanup drinking water to safe levels once a leak has occurred. Prevention is the best option, if available. If we don’t have adequate monitoring, detection, and reporting, then significant degradation of groundwater can occur. As well drilling professionals, most of us would be out of business if our groundwater supplies become contaminated. We need to do all we can to protect our groundwater, get involved, report spills, stand up for groundwater protec- tion. This is not a political argument, it’s about funding a good environmental program which has made a lot of progress. Note: Much of the program data in the top of this article is from USA Today . The statements and comments in this article are based on information and references believed to be true and fac- tual. If you have any questions or com- ments, please forward them to me in care of WWDR . Tom Tom Kwader may be contacted via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com New & Used Bits, HDD Bits & Tools, Drag Bits & Wings, Bolt-On Drag Bits, Reverse Circulation Tools, Hole Openers, Claw Bits, Stabilizers, Subs, Custom Tooling & Welding, Hammer Bits, Drill Collars, Pipe Wipers, and Drill Pipe. Office: (661) 834-4348 Rod Henderson / Eran Henderson 661-201-6259 • 661-330-0790 sales@bitcobits.com www.bitcoinc.us 14 NOVEMBER 2017 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Optimistic leaders never discuss difficulties in permanent terms but always in finite terms. ~ Robert J. Richardson and S. Katharine Thayer