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removes any harmful material that may be in the pit and properly
disposes of it. A bulldozer then covers it with dirt and levels it. If
necessary, the contractor lines а reserve pit with plastic to prevent soil
and groundwater pollution. In especially sensitive areas, such as in a
migratory bird flyway or in a wildlife refuge, contractors cover the pit
with netting to prevent birds from landing in it. In addition, they may
put up a fence to keep cattle or wildlife out.
In some areas, reserve pits are rare. Offshore, and on sensitive
land locations, the contractor places cuttings in portable receptacles
and disposes of them at an approved site. Most operators and
contractors recycle as many drilling mud components and other
materials as possible. What they cannot recycle, they discard at
approved sites. In some areas, regulatory agencies enforce a zero-
discharge policy. This policy prevents anyone from emitting anything
onto the ground, into a waterway or estuary, or into the sea.

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