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The Allegheny Highlands Conservancy (AHC) holds meetings at various times, focused on important conservation topics in our region. Meeting announcements are emailed to members and those on the AHC interest list, published in local newspapers and posted here on our web site. The public is welcome to attend. 

The next meeting time and place has not yet been scheduled.

Current Issues

Marcellus Shale Drilling: Learning More

New Reference:

No More Drilling in the Dark: Exposing the Hazards of Natural Gas Production and Protecting America’s Drinking Water and Wildlife Habitats
By Richard Forest, Energy Specialist, National Wildlife Federation, August 2011

http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/Media-Center/News-by-Topic/Global-Warming/2011/11-16-11-No-More-Drilling-in-the-Dark.aspx

All energy development activities have environmental impacts: we should pursue those energy options that are the least damaging to human health and the environment, including habitats and wildlife. Unfortunately, natural gas exploitation is taking place today in a rushed manner, before all the safeguards have been properly put in place, including adequate inspection systems and monitoring procedures. This report provides an overview of unconventional gas drilling and the key concerns and potential threats that such drilling raises for America’s land, water, air, and wildlife. It also provides a number of recommendations for addressing and reducing related environmental impacts.

Governor O'Malley Announces Study:

On June 6, 2011 Governor O'Malley signed an Executive Order (Order) establishing the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative. The Order requires the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in consultation with an advisory commission made up of a broad array of stakeholders, to undertake a study of drilling for natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in Western Maryland. "While we are mindful of the potential economic and energy benefits that could arise from the production of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale reserves in Maryland, we are also very concerned about an array of issues that have been raised regarding the use of hydraulic fracturing to extract this fuel," said Governor O'Malley. "Our decisions must be guided by scientific knowledge about the effects of this type of drilling to ensure that we protect public safety and health, groundwater, surface water, and the rural lifestyle and natural resources in Maryland."

Under the Executive Order, the study will be conducted in three parts:

1) A presentation of findings and related recommendations regarding the desirability of legislation to establish revenue sources, such as a State-level severance tax, and the desirability of legislation to establish standards of liability for damages caused by gas exploration and production. These findings and recommendations will be made by December 31, 2011.

2) Recommendations for best practices for all aspects of natural gas exploration and production in the Marcellus Shale in Maryland by August 1, 2012.

3) A final report which will include findings and recommendations relating to the impact of Marcellus Shale drilling including possible contamination of groundwater, handling and disposal of wastewater, environmental impacts, impacts to forests and important habitats, greenhouse gas emissions and economic impact. This report will be issued no later than August 1, 2014.

 

The Study will also include a review of available results from studies on the issue being done by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Interior, the U.S. Department of Energy, the State of New York, and the Delaware River Basin Commission, among others. Membership in the advisory committee is designed to ensure that the study includes individuals from the drilling industry, Western Maryland where Marcellus Shale reserves are located and members of the environmental community. The advisory commission will include: an expert on geology or natural gas production from a college or university; a private citizen from Western Maryland; representatives from the gas industry and an environmental organization; and representatives from Western Maryland local governments and business.

The production of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale involves deep wells with long horizontal sections and a process known as hydraulic fracturing. Advances in technology have helped spur a dramatic increase in the use of this process in the United States. Exploration for and production of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in nearby states have resulted in injuries, well blowouts, releases of fracturing fluids and methane, spills, fires, forest fragmentation, road damage, and evidence of contamination to groundwater and surface water. Other states have revised or are reevaluating their regulatory programs for gas production or assessing the environmental impacts of gas development from the Marcellus Shale. State law allows MDE to specify conditions that the Department deems reasonable and appropriate in a permit to ensure that an operation fully complies with the law and to provide for public safety and the protection of the State's natural resources. Maryland law requires that the proposed activity be subjected to a formal public review and comment process prior to any permit decision.
http://www.governor.maryland.gov/executiveorders/01.01.2011.11.pdf

Important References:

Assessing the Environmental Effects of Marcellus Shale Gas Development: The State of Science The Pinchot Institute for Conservation - April 2011

“The Marcellus Shale is regarded as an important new source of domestic energy for the United States, but its development also carries significant potential for environmental impacts, especially on water quality. The Pinchot Institute recently convened a technical workshop that examined the adequacy of existing science to assess cumulative impacts from shale gas development, as well as the science basis for standards and regulations aimed at protecting environmental values during development. The workshop was hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. The Pinchot Institute also recently released a report on “best management practices” for minimizing impacts on water quality and biodiversity from shale gas drilling.”

A concise summary of the information presented at the technical workshop is available for immediate viewing or download by clicking: http://www.pinchot.org/gp/EffectsofMarcellusShale


This webpage will provide you with access to the workshop summary, speaker presentations in downloadable .pdf format, speaker bios and workshop participant list.  The Pinchot Institute report on “best management practices” for protecting water quality, biodiversity, and other environmental values during shale gas development can be downloaded at http://www.pinchot.org/gp/Marcellus_Shale

 

Effects of Development of a Natural Gas Well and Associated Pipeline on the Natural and Scientific Resources of the Fernow Experimental Forest

http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/37268

Please note that this research paper describes impacts associated with a conventional well in Oriskany sandstone. The size of the well pad, quantity of fracking fluids, truck traffic, etc. were much less than those for a gas well in Marcellus Shale, however there were still many negative impacts.
 

Report on Implications of Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling on Conserved Land

Maryland Department of Natural Resources, December 2010

 

Environmental Research on Natural Gas Production from the Marcellus Shale

Daniel Soeder, US Department of Energy, presentation on Jan 6, 2010 at FSU

 

Sustainability of Resources in the Fractured-Rock Area of Maryland

http://md.water.usgs.gov/publications/fs-2009-3009/Fractured-Rock%20Fact%20Sheet%202009-3009.pdf

 

Water Resources and Natural Gas Production from the Marcellus Shale

http://md.water.usgs.gov/publications/fs-2009-3032/fs-2009-3032.pdf

 

Fractured Communities: Case Studies of the Environmental Impacts of Industrial Gas Drilling

http://www.riverkeeper.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Fractured-Communities-FINAL-September-2010.pdf

 

Maryland Department of Environment Fact Sheet on Marcellus Shale Drilling Regulations

http://www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/mining/Marcellus_Fact_Sheet.pdf

 

Marcellus Shale drilling operation in Pennsylvania.

Photo by PA Department of Environmental Protection

Webinars:

Cornell University

 

The Economics of Shale Gas Drilling: What are the Real Consequences?

Susan Christopherson, J. Thomas Clark Professor, Dept. of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University - A group of researchers centered at Cornell University has studied both the short-term (economic impact) and long-term (economic development) consequences of horizontal shale gas drilling. Their work has focused on: 1) the pace and scale of drilling, 2) the cumulative impact of multiple wells and potential costs to communities and regions, and 3) the challenges of sustainable economic development under the boom-bust cycle typical for natural resource extraction industries. The webinar will report on preliminary findings, address what Marcellus gas drilling means for economic development and offer guidance on how to measure and address the local economic consequences of shale gas development.

This webinar is archived at: http://breeze.cce.cornell.edu/p87469883/

For more information contact Heidi Mouillesseaux-Kunzman at hmm1@cornell.edu

 

Agricultural Potential Impacts from Marcellus Shale Drilling
This webinar will focus on the potential impacts on agriculture from Marcellus drilling and how they can be mitigated. George Frantz from Cornell University, Ken Smith from Cornell Cooperative Extension in Chenango County, and Judy Wright from the American Farmland Trust will present. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 11 from 1:00 - 3:30 ET. To register to participate in this webinar, go to or copy into your browser, the following link: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEpFdXFJUVBlbVlLWjZQMDVKMkZVbEE6MQ

For more information contact Kelly Cronin at:  kec42@cornell.edu

 

Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Cooperative Extension

A series of webinars on Marcellus Shale issues are available.  They cover a variety of topics ranging from local government's role in gas exploration to the effects of deep-well drilling methods on water supplies. The series is targeted at extension educators, federal and state agency representatives, and interested citizens.  Access to high-speed internet is required for viewing.  For more information about this and other Marcellus Shale webinars visit http://naturalgas.extension.psu.edu/webinars.htm

 

The following webinars have been previewed and are highly recommended:

 

Above the Marcellus Shale - Minimizing Impacts to Forests and Wildlife

Presented by Margaret Brittingham, Professor of Wildlife Resources and Extension Wildlife Specialist, at Penn State University.
 

Treatment/Disposal Options for Wastewaters from Shale Gas Drilling

and

Water Use and Water Quality Issues

Both presented Bryan Swistock, Water Resources Specialist, School of Forest Resources, Penn State University.

AHC Position on Marcellus Shale Drilling

Please Note:

Since the Garrett County Commissioners meeting on January 20, several bills have been introduced in the Maryland House and Senate regarding Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling.  The AHC board of directors has reviewed these, and it appears that House Bill 852 and its companion bill SB 634 (The Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Act of 2011), will provide the most protection for people and the environment.

The following is AHC's letter dated January 20, 2011 to the Garrett County Commissioners concerning Marcellus Shale drilling.  Copies have been sent to Governor O'Malley, Senator Edwards, Delegate Beitzel, DNR Secretary Griffin and MDE Acting Secretary Summers.  Please feel free to contact us, if you have any questions regarding AHC's letter.

The board of the Allegheny Highlands Conservancy (AHC) understands that the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation offers an opportunity for some Garrett County landowners to enhance the income generated from their property.  For certain landowners, income received from natural gas leases may make the difference between remaining solvent versus having to sell or subdivide their property.  At the same time, the potential negative environmental impacts of gas extraction are cause for concern.  In particular, possible adverse impacts to water resources, including water withdrawals for fracking and surface and groundwater contamination from flowback fluids, and the potential loss of forests and farmland to drilling sites and pipeline rights-of-way are worrisome, especially because these impacts are likely to extend beyond an individual’s property to adjacent properties.  Objective analyses of Marcellus Shale gas extraction provided by the U. S. Department of Energy, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Penn State University Cooperative Extension, have highlighted these potential problems and have indicated that more research is needed to fully understand the consequences of utilizing this resource. 

AHC’s board believes it is critical to take the time to research the potential impacts of Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction so that all appropriate regulatory safeguards can be put in place before permits are issued in Garrett County.  Garrett County and the State of Maryland must be pro-active so that when Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction begins, it is done in the safest, most responsible manner possible.  Reasonable property owners will want to make sure that the entire drilling process is done in such a way that their land, their neighbors’ land, their watersheds, and their aquifers are fully protected.  Therefore, we ask that you request a moratorium, a temporary suspension, on Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling, to allow time for Garrett County and the State of Maryland to put in place a rigorous, comprehensive regulatory program that protects groundwater, surface water, forests, and farmland for all citizens before natural gas extraction from the Marcellus Shale formation proceeds. 

 

Send mail to info@alleghenyhighlandsconservancy.org with questions or comments about this web site.
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Last modified: 01/01/2012