Answer: Surface disturbance is roughly comparable to that in any oil field. Other environmental issues include the amount of water initially required to hydrofacture the well and the quality of water produced with oil. In many cases, particularly on private land, it is the state government that regulates the extraction of oil and the remediation of sites after production is no longer economic.
For additional information go to: http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/oilgas/noga/ (choose Williston/Bakken in the interactive map to see all available documents).
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey