This report is a preliminary evaluation of the impacts to ground water, including impacts to surface water as it interacts with ground water, which could result from the mining and in-situ production of oil from oil shale and tar sands. The report: provides definitions and describes the processes used to recover oil from oil shale and tar sands; discusses the potential impacts to ground water and surface water from oil shale and tar sand production; describes the regulatory requirements for several U.S. states and the Province of Alberta that host oil shale or tar sands reserves; and discusses research needs, regulatory gaps and proactive steps that can help to prevent ground water and surface water impacts from oil shale and tar sands development.

Reprinted with Permission from Argonne National Laboratory