NEW E&P WASTE METHOD SOUGHT FOR ANWR

Waste disposal methods used at Prudhoe Bay and other Alaskan North Slope oil fields will be unacceptable in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, says Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC). ADEC earlier this month released a $90,000 study listing its suggestions for handling wastes should exploration and development proceed on the 1.5 million acre refuge. Among the study's findings and recommendations are: ADEC should not permit companies drilling in the refuge to discharge

Dec. 17, 1990

ADEC earlier this month released a $90,000 study listing its suggestions for handling wastes should exploration and development proceed on the 1.5 million acre refuge.

Among the study's findings and recommendations are:

ADEC should not permit companies drilling in the refuge to discharge waste to the tundra's surface, as is often done on the North Slope.
Lined pits used on the slope for drilling muds, cuttings, and similar wastes will not be acceptable in the refuge.
Wastes should be recycled to minimize volume.
Those wastes that cannot be recycled should be injected into subsurface formations.

The study also makes recommendations on road maintenance, air pollution control, and handling of wastes from workers' living quarters.

It does not deal with the issue of whether oil drilling should proceed on the refuge, which Congress must ultimately decide.