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Shale Oil and Gas Development: Ecological
Impacts in the Appalachians
Penn Future Conservation SummitBoiling Springs, Pennsylvania June 12, 2014
Nels Johnson
Energy Infrastructure Development in the
Delaware Watershed
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed ForumBethlehem, Pennsylvania October 22, 2014
Nels Johnson
This Is Unlikely to Happen in The Delaware Watershed
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Photo: Martha Rial
This Is Happening in the Delaware Watershed
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Nels Johnson - TNC
Well Pad Footprint (3 acres/well pad )Water Storage (3- 15 acres/impoundment)
Compressor Stations (5 acres/station)Compressor Stations (5 acres/station)
Modeled the relationship between:
• Drilled and permitted Marcellus wells (from PA-DEP data)
• Spatial variables related to geology and infrastructure:
- Thermal Maturity- Shale Depth- Shale Thickness- Percent Slope- Distance to Roads- Distance to Pipelines
Geographic Projections for Marcellus Development
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Well Pad Footprint (3 acres/well pad )Water Storage (3- 15 acres/impoundment)
Compressor Stations (5 acres/station)
Geographic Projections for Marcellus Development
Compressor Stations (5 acres/station)
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Well Pad Footprint (3 acres/well pad )Water Storage (3- 15 acres/impoundment)
Compressor Stations (5 acres/station)
Geographic Projections for Marcellus Development
Compressor Stations (5 acres/station)
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Appalachian Energy Projections – Forest Risk
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Appalachian Energy Projections – Forest Risk
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Scope and Scale of Transmission Impacts
Mark Godfrey - TNC George Gress - TNC
How Many New Gas Pipelines in U.S?
298,000 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines in U.S.
160,000 miles of hazardous liquid pipelines.
At least 5,000 miles of large diameter transmission pipelines are being built
annually.Photo: Nels Johnson - TNC
Photo: Nels Johnson - TNC
FERC-Regulated Pipelines
Proposed Wi l l iams At lant ic Sunr ise P ipe l ine
How Many New Gas Pipelines in PA?
PA had 9,000 miles of large diameter oil/gas pipelines in 2008
Pipeline mileage in PA will at least quadruple by 2030.
The gathering pipeline footprint alone is larger than the cumulative area
impacted by all other Marcellus gas infrastructure combined.
Photo: Nels Johnson - TNC
How Many New Gas Pipelines in PA?
Photo: Nels Johnson - TNC
Water Quality – Sediment and Nutrients
Photo: Patrick Drohan – Penn State
Photo: Josh Parrish – TNC
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Well Pad Footprint (3 acres/well pad )Water Storage (3- 15 acres/impoundment)
Photo: Mark Godfrey - TNC
Land Use – Habitat Loss
Photo: Mark Godfrey - TNC
Compressor Stations (5 acres/station)
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Well Pad Footprint (3 acres/well pad )Water Storage (3- 15 acres/impoundment)
Photo: Mark Godfrey - TNC
Land Use – Habitat Fragmentation
Photo: Mark Godfrey - TNC
Oil/Gas Transmission Pipelines (19 acres/mile) )
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Nels Johnson – TNC
Edge Effects on Forest Interior Species
Photo: Josh Parrish – TNC
2nd Annual Delaware Watershed Forum - Bethlehem, PA
Increased light
Reduced humidity
Increased invasive species
Increased predation
Increased storm damage (trees)
Reduced mobility (animals)
Environmental Impacts of Transmission ROWs
Physical Impacts
Soil disturbance/erosion
Noise (electrostatic)
Noise (compressor
stations)
VOC and methane
emissions (natural gas)
Light (large electric lines)
Chemical use/spills
Mowing/cutting vegetation
Photo: George Gress
Photo: George Gress - TNC
Ecological Impacts of Transmission ROWs
Habitat fragmentation
Increased predation
Vectors for invasive species
Bird and bat fatalities (electric)
Animal travel corridors
Favorable sites for early successional/grassland species
Photo: Mark Godfrey - TNC
Minimizing Impacts of Transmission ROWs
Negotiate routing early and often
Work with other organizations to
promote preferred routes and
ROW maintenance
Advocate EIS through FERC
Specify desired vegetation
treatments ahead of time
Encourage hardscaping and
landscaping
Options
Photo: Tamara Gagnolet- TNC