Risk Analysis of Aquifer Contamination by Brine
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 114, Issue 6
Abstract
Underground disposal of liquid wastes poses a danger of groundwater contamination. The prediction of their impacts is subject to many uncertainties. This paper develops and applies a risk analysis model that addresses several of these uncertainties. The model inputs are hydrogeologic parameters, the reliability of waste disposal, and demographic information. The outputs of the model are probability distributions of the number of rural home wells or municipal groundwater well fields that may be contaminated. Contamination is defined as occurring when the concentration for any disposed chemical exceeds its water quality standard. The model is used to analyze the risks posed by annular disposal of oil and gas brines in Ohio. It is found that the economic costs associated with those risks are an order of magnitude smaller than the benefits of the practice.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Asbeck, E. L., and Haimes, Y. Y. (1984). “The partitioned multiobjective risk method (PMRM).” Large Scale Syst., 6(1), 13–38.
2.
Baker, F. G., and Brendecke, C. M. (1983). “Seepage from oilfield brine disposal ponds in Utah.” Ground Water, 21(3), 317–324.
3.
Berger, J. O. (1985). Statistical decision theory and Bayesian analysis. 2nd Ed., Springer‐Verlag, New York, N.Y.
4.
Chankong, V., Haimes, Y. Y., Du, C. (1985). “Risk assessment for groundwater contamination, II.” Computer applications in water resources, A. H. Torno, ed., ASCE, New York, N.Y., 1081–1099.
5.
Duckstein, L., and Plate, E. J., eds. (1987). Engineering reliability and risk in water resources. Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, Netherlands.
6.
Freeze, R. A., and Cherry, J. A. (1979). Groundwater. Prentice‐Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
7.
Fryberger, J. S. (1975). “Investigation and rehabilitation of a brine‐contaminated aquifer.” Ground water, 13(2), 155–160.
8.
Gorelick, S. M. (1982). “A model for managing sources of groundwater pollution.” Water Resour. Res., 18(4), 305–319.
9.
Haimes, Y. Y., and Stakhiv, E. Z., eds. (1986). Risk‐based decision making in water resources. ASCE, New York, N.Y.
10.
Harrison, S. S. (1983). “Evaluating system for ground‐water contamination hazards due to gas‐well drilling on the glaciated Appalachian Plateau.” Ground Water, 21(6), 689–700.
11.
Harrison, S. S. (1984). “Contamination of aquifers by overpressuring the annulus of oil and gas wells.” Ground Water, 22(3), 317–324.
12.
Hobbs, B. F., et al. (1987). Risk‐benefit analysis of annular disposal of oil and gas brines, Final Report, Dept. of Systems Engrg., Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, Ohio.
13.
Kaunus, J. R., and Haimes, Y. Y. (1985). “Risk management of groundwater contamination in a multiobjective framework.” Water Resour. Res., 21(11), 1721–1730.
14.
Knox, R. C., and L. W. Canter (1980). “Effects of oil and gas field activity on ground water quality.” Report NCGWR 80‐30, National Center for Ground Water Research, Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla.
15.
Konikow, L. F., and Bredehoeft, J. D. (1978). “Computer model of two‐dimensional solute transport and dispersion in ground water.” U.S. Geological Survey techniques of water resources investigations, Book 7, C2, U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.
16.
Mayhew, G. (1973). Groundwater investigation of the buried valley underlying the Muskingum River, Coshocton Comity and the Wakatomika Creek in Muskingum County, Ohio (Area 8). Prepared for the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources by The Ohio Drilling Company, Massillon, Ohio.
17.
Murphy, E. C., et al. (1988). “Leachate generated by an oil‐and‐gas brine pond site in North Dakota.” Ground Water, 26(1), 31–38.
18.
Norris, S. E., and Mayer, G. C. (1982). “Water resources of the Black Hand sandstone member of the Cuyahoga formation and associated aquifers of Mississippian Age in Southeastern Ohio.” U.S.G.S. Open‐File Report 82‐170, U.S.G.S., Columbus, Ohio.
19.
Northeast Ohio Brine Disposal Task Force. (1984). Brine disposal in Northeast Ohio: a report on the problem and recommendations for action. Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, Cleveland, Ohio.
20.
Ohio Environmental Council. (1983). Brine disposal in Ohio: an overview, Ohio Environmental Council, Columbus, Ohio.
21.
Ohio Oil and Gas Regulatory Review Commission (1987). Report of the state of Ohio oil and gas regulatory review commission. OOGRRC, Columbus, Ohio.
22.
Pettyjohn, W. A. (1971). “Water pollution by oil‐field brines and related industrial wastes in Ohio.” Ohio J. Sci., 71(5), 257–269.
23.
Princeton University Water Resources Program. (1984). Groundwater contamination from hazardous wastes. Prentice‐Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
24.
Van der Heijde, P., et al. (1985). “Groundwater management: the use of numerical models.” Water Resources Monograph 5, 2nd Ed., AGU, Washington, D.C.
25.
Waldrop, W. R., et al. (1985). “A review of field‐scale physical solute transport processes in saturated and unsaturated porous media.” EPRI EA‐4190, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, Calif.
26.
Willis, R. (1976). “Optimal groundwater management: well injection of waste water.” Water Resour. Res., 12(1), 47–53.
27.
Young, K. R., et al. (1985). “Environmental regulation and regional economic growth: an input‐output analysis of the Ohio coal mining region.” Research Bull. 1170, Ohio State Univ., Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Columbus, Ohio.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1988 ASCE.
History
Published online: Jan 1, 1988
Published in print: Jan 1988
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.