Used Liners: Dispose of or Bury in Place?

The mining of oil and gas in deep rock calls for the use of thousands of gallons of water. The fracturing fluids become contaminated, either as part of or subsequent to the process, and must, in many areas, be stored in lined pits. However, companies in Colorado are looking to turn away from liners and instead use underground injection disposal, in part because they are finding it difficult to dispose of liners after use. Many landfills will not accept them because of potential toxic contamination. Colorado may need to change its liner disposal rule to a bury-in-place scheme.