of greater magnitude are associated with underground disposal of waste water and have not caused either structural damage or loss of life. Water disposal is regulated under the U.S. EPA Underground Injection Control program that has permitted tens of thousands of UIC Class I and II injection wells that exhibit no problems related to induced seismicity. The few wells with seismic problems may need review to change their injection rates and schedule or they may have to be abandoned. Neither condition condemns the operation of the vast majority of disposal wells. To date, Federal and state studies have found no direct or significant impact to shallow underground sources of drinking water that can be traced to hydraulic fracturing of much deeper gas shales. Regulation of well construction and surface discharges under the Safe Drinking Water
Act are adequate to prevent impairment risk to the public is small while the benof water supplies provided there is suffi- efits of developing vast domestic energy cient funding for inspection and enforce- resources is large. ment. Induced seismicity appears related to waste water disposal and not hydraulic fracturing. Oil and gas service companies are experimenting with alternatives to hydraulic fracturing (cryogenic and propane fracs) and are developing biodegradBrandon Nuttall is a geologist within the able alternatives to toxic energy and minerals section of the Kentucky additives. Certainly, water Geological Survey. resources can be affected He can be reached at: bnuttall@uky.edu by accidents or human error at ground level but the A Powerpoint presentation on this topic is posted in the KGS presentation library. Click here to view and download the presentation (see also the presentation notes pages).
Revealing New Energy in a New CAER Building cont. His remarks were echoed by Stella Fiotes, chief facilities management officer of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which provided the majority of funding. “We’re excited to see this new laboratory open and begin hosting research into renewable energy and energy storage. This work will complement NIST’s measurement research in support of clean technologies and energy efficiency.” The building itself was the star of the show after the press conference, when toured by dignitaries. According to CAER director Rodney Andrews, “Our target was at least a 50 percent reduction in energy usage compared to similar facilities. The final percentage is 54. It is targeted to be LEED gold certified.” Energy reduction is accomplished through energy-saving features throughout the building, including an exterior and roof with twice the amount of insulation normally used. Windows contain a nanogel material that diffuses sunlight and provides the same insulation as brick walls. Among other features are geothermal heating and cooling, occupancy
sensors that turn off lights automatically when a space isn’t being used, and a ventilation system that recaptures energy. The facility was funded by a competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) NIST Construction Grant Program. The award consisted of $11.8 million in federal funds, with matching resources of $3.5 million provided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and $1.9 million from UK. An additional award of $3.5 million in state ARRA funds was provided by the Department of Energy to achieve LEED certification and insure that this new laboratory is a model for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. This funding has enabled UK to develop unique labs including a dry room designed for battery manufacturing
and testing, an open-access biofuels research lab, and state-of-the-art solar research facilities. The entire second floor is devoted to research performed by UK Department of Chemistry Professor John Anthony’s group, whose work includes organic thin-film transistors (for flexible flat-panel displays), organic solar cells (for low-cost electricity generation) and organic light-emitting diodes (for highefficiency lighting). “For nearly 150 years, the University of Kentucky has been an engine for growth in the Commonwealth continued on page 6
Biofuels researchers investigate algae for CO2 removal from coal-burning power plants.
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