RETTEW vice president, Yves Pollart, has been chosen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to participate in a technical seminar on wastewater treatment and modeling for the oil and gas industry. The seminar is one of several the agency is coordinating to continue discussions relevant to a study concerning hydraulic fracturing. 

Water is one of the most important ongoing issues within hydraulic fracturing, with details ranging from sourcing water for operations, water use regulations, and the handling of the wastewater (flowback and produced water) generated by fracturing. 

The EPA solicited applications and selected 50 individuals to serve as experts on the topic for this seminar, coming from a cross-section of perspectives including nonprofits, government, industry, academic and environmental groups. 

“I’m honored to be chosen to contribute to such an important subject in the ongoing development of the oil and natural gas industry and the environmental regulations surrounding it,” Pollart said. 

Pollart was chosen for his decades of expertise as an environmental engineer in water and wastewater management, including his role as the vice president of a wastewater treatment company that treats flowback and produced water to help oil and gas clients meet stringent water regulations and encourage recycling of wastewater. 

He will view presentations by several subject matter experts and then participate in group discussions to answer questions provided by the agency. The agency expects no consensus on best practices to be reached, but rather, wishes to collect as much relevant information as possible to add to its study. The discussion also could result in increased collaboration by participating groups and additional future research. 

“As a leader in engineering work for the oil and  natural gas industry in the Northeast, RETTEW is always ready to contribute to the education and public discussion of industry benefits and challenges,” said Mark Lauriello, president of RETTEW.

 The workshop will be held April 18 at the EPA campus in Research Triangle Park, N.C.