Natural Gas Drilling Story

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Fractured Landscape:
The Appa

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Last July, as concern grew over the prospect that thousands of natural gas wells could appear
in the upland forests and farms of Appalachia, Pennsylvania officials sought to reassure the
public and the gas industry alike.
The news media had reported that the wells could potentially tap millions of gallons of
water from streams, produce toxic waste water and disturb thousands of undeveloped areas
in the Marcellus shale—a 600-mile sheet of sedimentary rock spanning Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, New York, Maryland and Ohio.
In an effort to alleviate fears on both sides of the issue, officials publicly emphasized that
not only did the gas rush mean a huge economic opportunity for the state due Pennsylvania’s
abundant water resources, gas companies were “all rising to the challenge” of drilling
responsibly.
But by the time those assurances were made, four gas companies had already been N L Y L E ]
[ B Y M O R G A caught
withdrawing water without permission from Pennsylvania trout streams. Chief Oil & Gas
had removed 3.5 million gallons from Mud Run, a tributary of Larry’s Creek, and Range
Resources had taken 2.2 million gallons out of Big Sandy Run. Other streams affected by
achians’ Energy Development Rush
withdrawals were Meshoppen, Pine and Sugar Creeks.
The companies paid $1.7 million to settle the violations. But permits for hundreds of
additional wells have already been filed, including many near cold, pristine streams—streams
that may be adversely affected not only by developers tapping water for the drilling process,
but also by the contaminants and runoff that natural gas drilling can produce.

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Last July, as concern grew over the prospect that thousands of

Las
natural gas wells could appear in the upland forests and farms of
Appalachia, Pennsylvania officials sought to reassure the public
t July, as concern grew over the prospect that
and the gas industry alike.
thousands of natural reported that theappear in the upland
The news media had gas wells could wells could potentially
tap millions of gallons of water from streams, produce toxic
forests and farms of Appalachia, Pennsylvania officials
waste water and disturb thousands of undeveloped areas in the
sought to reassure the public and the gas industry alike.
Marcellus shale—a 600-mile sheet of sedimentary rock spanning
The news media had reported that the wells could potentially tap millions
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Maryland and Ohio.
of In an effort to alleviate fears produce toxic waste water and disturb
gallons of water from streams, on both sides of the issue, officials
thousandsemphasized that not only Marcellusgas rush600-milehuge
publicly of undeveloped areas in the did the shale—a mean a sheet
of sedimentary rock spanning Pennsylvania, West Virginia, abundant
economic opportunity for the state due Pennsylvania’s New York,
Maryland and Ohio. companies were “all rising to the challenge”
water resources, gas
ofIn an effort to alleviate fears on both sides of the issue, officials publicly
drilling responsibly.
emphasized that not only did the gas rush mean a huge economic opportunity
But by the time those assurances were made, four gas companies
for the state due to Pennsylvania’s abundant water resources, gas companies
had already been caught withdrawing water without permission
were “all rising to the challenge” of drilling responsibly.
from Pennsylvania trout streams. Chief Oil & Gas had removed 3.5
But by the time those assurances were made, four gas companies had already
million gallons from Mud Run, a tributary of Larry’s Creek, and
been caught withdrawing water without permission from Pennsylvania trout
Range Resources had taken 2.2 million gallons out of Big Sandy
streams. Chief Oil & Gas had removed 3.5 million gallons from Mud Run,
Run. Other streams affected by withdrawals were Meshoppen,
a tributary of Larry’s Creek, and Range Resources had taken 2.2 million
gallons outSugar Sandy Run. Other streams affected by withdrawals were
Pine and of Big Creeks.
The companies paid $1.7 million to settle the violations. But
Meshoppen, Pine and Sugar creeks.
permits for hundreds ofmillion to settle thehave already been filed,
The companies paid $1.7 additional wells violations. But permits for
hundreds ofmany near cold, pristinebeen filed, including many may
including additional wells have already streams—streams that near
cold, pristine streams—streams that may be adversely affected not for the
be adversely affected not only by developers tapping water only by
developers tapping water also bydrilling process, but also by runoff that
drilling process, but for the the contaminants and the contami-
natural gas drilling can produce.
nants and runoff that natural gas drilling can produce.


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“A runaway freight train” inconsistent environmental laws and in Pennsylvania is absolutely enforced
The rush to drill for natural gas in the underfunded regulatory agencies. and followed, which is highly unlikely,
Marcellus shale formation—encouraged, “Right now the Marcellus shale the damage to our streams and forests
in part, by the government agencies drilling rush is coming at us like will be considerable.”
responsible for protecting the environ- a runaway freight train. There is
ment and made possible by hundreds of no stopping it. All we can hope to
“It makes your head spin”
millions of dollars in leases with rural do is make sure the environmental
landowners—poses a vast challenge to A well costs as much as $3 million in
damage is kept to a minimum,” says
the ecosystems, and especially trout the Marcellus shale region, and until
Ken Undercoffer, president of TU’s
habitats, of the Appalachian Plateau. recently no one bothered drilling for the
Pennsylvania Council.
Trout Unlimited volunteers and staff estimated 50 trillion cubic feet of natural
“My biggest concern is the need for
in the region have made the Marcellus gas because it was too expensive to do
massive water withdrawals to fracture
gas rush a top conservation priority. so. But escalating gas prices have led to
the wells, and where this water is going
From the grassroots to the national massive investment in the region.
to be treated afterward to render it
offices, TU is working to make sure the Pennsylvania alone issued 493
harmless to the environment. Even
drilling is done responsibly, in spite of well permits as of mid-September
if every environmental law that exists

“Even if every environmental law that exists is absolutely
enforced and followed, which is highly unlikely, the damage
to our streams and forests will be considerable.”

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NAT GILLESPIE

Escalating gas prices have attracted investors in droves to the estimated 50 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Marcellus shale region.


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For many local landowners, offers from the gas companies
too good to refuse.
are simply Tenders of as much as
$2,500 an acre, and sometimes more, are common.
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2008, with more expected to fol-
low. Dominion, an energy company
from Richmond, Va., announced in
September it holds leases on as much
as 800,000 acres in the Appalachian
region. Range Resources of Fort Worth,
Texas announced in July it had locked
up 1.4 million acres in northern West
Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania,
northeastern Pennsylvania and south-
Well is turned
ern New York. Atlas Energy Resources horizontal
of Moon Township, Pa. controls more Marcellus Shale
than half a million acres. And these
Hydrofrac Zone
companies are only the tip of the
Marcellus-drilling iceberg.
Hydro-fracturing involves injecting over a mil-
For many local landowners, offers
lion gallons of water, chemicals and sand at
from the gas companies are simply too high pressure to crack the rock and release gas
good to refuse. Tenders of as much as into the well.
$2,500 an acre, and sometimes more,
buying power. To help facilitate title
are common, as is a share of the profits
searches, a gas company asked for an
on the production of the gas well itself,
office in the Clearfield, Pa. county
which could bring in thousands of
courthouse. In September, the New
additional dollars per month.
York attorney general’s office began
“When a guy comes along and offers
investigating dozens of complaints of
you potentially $5 million, it makes
misleading or deceptive tactics by gas
your head spin,” says Fred Dorgler of
company “land men.”
Floral Park, N.Y., a member of a local
Says Dorgler, “whether we lease or
field and stream club. The club owns
don’t lease, we’ll never be the same.”
3,200 acres in the Catskills coveted
by Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation of
Charleston, W.V. In September, club
Drilling in irreplaceable
members struggled over whether or not
trout habitat
to lease their hunting lands.
To get gas out of the Marcellus shale,
“Some of these people are in their
developers use a technique known
80s and 90s and grew up scratching out
as hydro-fracturing, which means
a living. They now stand the chance of
drilling down thousands of feet to the
getting a substantial amount of money
shale and then blasting the shale with
late in their lives,” says Al Conklin, a
water—anywhere from 3 million to 9
retired school teacher from Liverpool,
million gallons per well. Even more
N.Y. and member of the Iroquois
water is used if the well needs to be
Chapter of TU.
re-fractured.
Like others, Conklin’s father faces
Trucking in water to meet the
the potential of leasing 80 acres near
demand is expensive. It’s far cheaper
the West Branch of the Delaware River
to run a few hundred feet of fire
to natural gas developers. “My father has
hose to a nearby stream. And because
looked at it as somewhat of a godsend.
drilling tends to be concentrated in
But on the other hand, you don’t want
undeveloped highlands, those nearby
something that’s going to spoil your
streams are often irreplaceable trout
drinking water.”
habitat.
Natural gas development in the
“Where they’re drilling in the
Marcellus region has reached dizzying
Marcellus is up in the hills—the
proportions. Landowners have started
Appalachian Mountains,” says
to bargain in groups to increase their


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and regulations don’t adequately pro-
Mike Brownell, chief of the Water any amount of water for Marcellus
tect streams from natural gas drilling
Resource Management Division shale drilling. Prior to permitting
water withdrawals. The New York State
of the Susquehanna River Basin any withdrawal, the commission’s
Water Resources Institute at Cornell
Commission. “They’re not drilling staff conducts field studies on the
University also found that, due to
down in the valleys.” stream in question, counting fish and
the likelihood that many of the wells
Of the 33 applications for gas well invertebrates and measuring flows.
will be located in the upper reaches
water withdrawals that came before But not every trout stream is fortunate
of watersheds, “there is legitimate
the SRBC at its quarterly meeting enough to be under the jurisdiction
concern regarding the over exploita-
in September 2008, 15 requested of the SRBC.
tion of water, even if this impact is
the right to draw water from streams Regulations for withdrawing water
temporary.”
classified as coldwater fisheries or vary widely from state to state. West
high-quality coldwater fisheries. Virginia lacks statewide rules govern-
Several others were put-and-take ing the withdrawal of water from sen-
Threats to water quality
trout streams. sitive trout habitat, says Larry Harris,
The water used in hydro-fracturing
After the unauthorized withdrawals TU’s National Leadership Council
contains chemicals the industry is
by Range Resources, Chief Oil & Gas secretary from Morgantown, W.V. who
not required to disclose, but which
and others last spring, the SRBC tight- also serves on a six-member advisory
reputable organizations describe as
ened its rules. Before, permits were council to the state’s Department of
containing such highly toxic substances
only needed when a certain volume Environmental Protection.
as arsenic, hydrogen sulfide, mercury
of water was consumed, but now the In New York, a TU report released
and volatile organic compounds
SRBC requires a permit to withdraw in September found that current laws

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Of the 33 applications for gas well water withdrawals that
came before the SRBC, 15 requested the right to draw
water from streams classified as coldwater fisheries or
high-quality coldwater fisheries.


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Due to the magnitude of the
Marcellus shale development, most
might think that federal regulations
would help address concerns over
water withdrawals and water quality.
Unfortunately, the 2005 Energy Policy
Act specifically exempted the oil and
gas industry from the provisions of the
Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking
Water Act that apply to pollution caused
by waste water as well as runoff.
“It’s critical that the natural gas
industry’s exemption from federal
clean water laws be repealed,” says Sara
Tucker, TU’s director of government
affairs. “It’s an unfortunate exemption
and it never should have happened.”
Tucker says that for TU, the issue
of balancing gas production on public
and private land with fish and wildlife
protection will be “one of our top
priorities of 2009.” New York Sen.
Hillary Clinton has expressed support
for closing the loopholes.

Protecting the resource
“Even if a state has the best laws in place
and has the staff to ensure these laws
are complied with, if these wells are
developed in the numbers that are being
talked about, the cumulative impact
is going to be heavy,” says Elizabeth
Maclin, TU’s vice president for eastern
conservation. “We are not opposed to
drilling in the Marcellus, but people
and rivers—and our fishing and hunting
spots—have got to be protected.”
Maclin says that TU is undertaking
a campaign to bring its members and
other sportsmen and women together to
keep drilling out of public lands that are
including benzene, toluene and nated water. Those that can are close
vital for fish and wildlife. They are also
xylene. The natural gas industry says to or already at capacity.
advocating for tighter state laws and regu-
the chemicals are kept out of water An additional worry is run-off.
lations requiring setbacks from streams,
supplies during drilling, and that The wells sit on pads, typically five
water withdrawal standards, water treat-
waste water is trucked away and ren- acres in size, linked by pipelines and
ment requirements, strict enforcement
dered harmless at treatment plants. accessed by new unpaved roads—all
and steep penalties for non-compliance,
But chemicals have shown up in the of which can cause increased sedi-
and are identifying and working with
groundwater in natural gas drilling mentation in nearby streams that,
responsible energy companies to develop
sites in the western United States, and in turn, raises water temperatures,
a set of best practices.
in reality there are very few treatment alters streambeds, impairs spawning
plants that can handle the contami- and smothers aquatic insects. Continued on page 59

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Appalachian Energy
measure of protection, at least on
Continued from page 42
operations they can see. But with so
You can help…
Locally, TU members and chapters much drilling occurring in so many
are working to ensure that coldwa- places, it will be difficult to make
TU is working at the state and
ter habitats are protected from gas sure every driller honors the terms of
national level to help assure
drilling. Last fall, the West Virginia his or her permit and does not harm
that valuable trout resources
Council reached out to representa- streams, especially since much of the
in the Northeast are protected
tives of the gas industry to meet and exploration and extraction will take
from the Marcellus shale
discuss ways of extracting natural gas place in undeveloped areas.
development. Whether it’s
without damaging the headwaters of “Some of the most intense interest
working to educate people
trout streams. in Marcellus shale exploration and
as to the potential impacts
In Pennsylvania, the state council extraction is taking place in the least
of the development on trout,
is considering proposing a tax on gas developed areas of this state,” says Tim
sharing your opinion with
company profits to be used to hire Ziegler of the Center for Dirt and
elected officials or monitoring
more inspectors to monitor drilling Gravel Road Studies at Pennsylvania
energy exploration at the local
operations. Pennsylvania has just 36 State University, an organization
level, you can play a vital role.
water quality specialists and drilling originally founded 11 years ago by
Go to tu.org/marcellus, pro-
____________
inspectors, and despite the clear need TU’s Pennsylvania Council. “These
vide us with your email and
for more, the commonwealth froze areas contain the most miles of
telephone number and we’ll
additional hiring due to a budget healthy trout streams—many of them
contact you to discuss how you
crunch. headwater brook trout streams—and
can protect your home waters
Local TU members will undoubt- that does not bode well for our state
from drilling.
edly keep an eye on drilling operations fish or the anglers who enjoy pursu-
near their home waters, offering a ing them.”

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