I've blogged before about the environmental risks associated with open air waste pits used by the oil and gas industry, including risks to air quality, groundwater, surface water, and soil. I've also blogged about the fact that there are better solutions than pits available to the industry in pitless, closed loop systems that are economical and readily available.
The latest news from Colorado is that closed loop systems were used in 79 percent of wells permitted to be drilled in Colorado in March (184 of them), compared with 38 percent for March, 2010. This is good news for the environment, and proves that pitless drilling and fracking is a very viable alternative for industry, providing a win-win solution.