Coal Mine Drainage for Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Extraction: Proceedings and Recommendations from a Roundtable on Feasibility and Challenges

On December 14, 2011, the RAND Corporation hosted and moderated a roundtable conference with funding from the Marcellus Shale Coalition to assess the feasibility of using coal mine water and, specifically, drainage from coal mines, to support hydraulic fracturing operations in the Marcellus Shale formation. The event also sought to examine potential economic and environmental impacts and identify related data and regulatory gaps.