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Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids Green Ranking Project

Summary: Cardno ENTRIX was hired to develop a prototype "Green" ranking system for a major oilfield service company. The prototype developed was quantitative in nature to allow for relative "Green" product development and marketing decisions.

The project began with a review of the existing national and international ranking/approval systems, including: (EPA DfE, Green Seal, EcoLogo, Ecocert, Nordic Ecolabel (Swan), CEFAS (OCNS), EU Ecolabel (Flower), EPA PBT Profiler, REACh, Green Good Housekeeping Seal, The Blue Angel, Environment Canada Screening Criteria)

After careful comparison, Cardno ENTRIX identified criteria most common to the systems and placed them in three major categories:

Environmental

  • Acute / chronic aquatic toxicity
  • Bioaccumulation
  • Biodegradation
  • Priority pollutants
  • Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content

Physical Hazards

  • Explosive
  • Flammability
  • Oxidizer
  • Corrosive

Human Health

  • Acute toxicity
  • Imitation/corrosion
  • Carcinogenicity
  • Genetic toxicity
  • Reproductive and developmental toxicity

There is no generally recognized standard for "Green" criteria. As a result, a wide range of criteria are utilized in regulatory and private schemes. However, the adoption of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) has brought a significant level of international consensus to hazard criteria and definitions, and was the system chosen as the basis for this project. GHS standardizes and harmonizes the classification and labeling of chemicals by:

  • Addressing health, physical and environmental hazards of chemicals
  • Creating a classification process that uses available data on chemicals for comparison with the defined hazard criteria; and
  • Creating a Hazard Communication system, as well as establishing standard protective measures language on labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Cardno ENTRIX developed a science-based, quantitative ranking tool to provide a relative measure of Green criteria. The scale is currently 0-100 and separately ranks the three sets of criteria (Human Health, Environmental, Physical). Additionally, it allows for individual or aggregate ranking and allows for a scaling of the score if one particular area of concern is most important.

It also allows for a quick identification of where effort should be focused to reduce the score for new product development.

For more information, contact Tom Grumbles at 713-662-1991.