Directional drilling is an incredibly effective and versatile way of installing utilities with minimal disruption in established areas. Rather than open trench methods that are costly and disruptive, utilities can be placed underground around and underneath existing structures and roads. This has grown through the years to become the preferred methodology and is often the standard. However, this process also generates large amounts of “drill muds” or slurries that cannot be simply discarded on the ground or taken directly to a landfill.

For many years in North Carolina, it was pretty commonplace for Horizontal Directional Drilling muds and slurries to be mismanaged or ignored altogether. Often, drillers would haul these sludges and muds off-site to land farms, permitted or otherwise. Or worse yet, they would take them to a farmer’s property, pay them cash and then dump illegally. However, this was never a good practice. This is, after all, a waste product and it must be disposed of properly at a permitted facility. And before it can be disposed of, it must be able to pass the EPA Method 9095 (The Paint Filter Test) which it almost never does. And recently, the NCDEQ has been cracking down on this like never before. That’s why directional drillers all across the Carolinas are turning to SR&R’s drill mud disposal options to stay legal and compliant.

Our solidification pit facility accepts drums, tankers, and vacuum trucks daily and stabilizes the material for safe, permitted disposal. With the ability to quickly offload and get back on the road, we pride ourselves on our ability to keep your production moving. Or if you don’t have the ability to get the drill mud to us, we can come to you and transport it off-site with our high capacity vacuum trucks!  And with our compliance program that is second-to-none, you will have the paperwork to prove to the state that you have disposed of your wastes in accordance with local, state, and Federal guidelines. For more information on how SR&R can keep you in compliance with the laws regarding your drilling wastes, please contact us.