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