Energy Company Says It Can Recycle "Fracking" Water

An energy company has announced a new system for treating wastewater from gas wells in eastern Ohio, where a natural gas boom is underway. Chesapeake Energy Corp. says that by recycling the wastewater it can dramatically reduce the amount of brine going into Ohio injection wells for disposal. The Oklahoma-based company also says recycling the water would reduce the amount of fresh water needed for subsequent drilling. The system can reportedly handle 250 to 300 42-gallon barrels of wastewater an hour. The water recovery system, operated by Pennsylvania company Rettew Flowback Inc. for Chesapeake, is the first of its kind in Ohio.