marked up DEIS early draft

There is no apparent order to this document at the moment. It needs a careful outline that is shared and explained in the intro. Insert material from proposal including the rfp summary and front matter from scoping document. Table of contents Executive summary Other front matter I suggest that you begin with outlining effort in order to fit each person’s work in coherently while also allowing for the inclusion of our 4 RFP categories. For example: downstream impacts and New Jersy Impacts air pollution baseline construction operation post construction Pipeline and other accessory impacts Port Jervis Impacts Community Impacts Environmental Impact Statement on the Extraction of Natural Gas in the Marcellus Shale Draft Environmental Impact Statement Hawk Rock Environmental Consulting 505 Ramapo Valley Road Mahwah, NJ  Introduction Hawk Rock Environmental Consulting (HREC) has been commissioned by the Delaware Riverkeeper, Environmental New Jersey, and the Catskill Mountain Keeper to effectively analyze the potential effects of hydraulic fracturing of natural gas in the Marcellus shale formation of New York in the Port Jervis Area. With this Environmental Impact statement, we communicate our findings on these activities and the potential role and effect of any alternatives. Scoping Document (to be appended) SCOPING DOCUMENT Downstream Impacts of Proposed Catskill Hydraulic Fracturing Issued by Michael R. Edelstein, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Environmental Studies Ramapo College of New Jersey February 23, 2010 I am pleased to circulate the scoping document for this project. The scope was derived from the RFP itself, from input from the three client organizations and from suggestions from the public during a scoping hearing on February 17. Written input was also received. Although there may be minor changes, assume that this scope represents the formal guidance for the DEIS and FEIS being undertaken by Hawk Rock Consulting in response to the RFP. Below, find the RFP for the project and, following that, the scoping document. RFP Downstream Impacts of Proposed Catskill Hydraulic Fracturing On behalf of clients Delaware Riverkeeper, Environment New Jersey and Catskill Mountainkeeper, the Institute for Environmental Studies at Ramapo College issues the following RFP. In response to pending applications to employ a new technique for extracting natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation employing hydraulic fracturing or fracking (a technique for splitting rock to release gas trapped in pores), in 2009 New York State DEC issued a Supplemental Generic Impact Study to update its prior GEIS for its mining and extraction regulations. Comments on the Draft SGEIS were taken in December 2009 and a Final is pending. This RFP requests a proposal for an independent study to examine some issues not thoroughly addressed in the DSGEIS. The Region: Note for the purposes of this RFP, the: Area of Potential Primary Impact refers generally to the region depicted on the map for the National Park Service administered Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=upde&parkname=Upper%20Delaware%20Scenic%20and%20Recreational%20River and the Area of Potential Downstream Impact refers generally to the middle Delaware region depicted on the map for the National Park Service Administered Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=dewa&parkname=Delaware%20Water%20Gap%20National%20Recreation%20Area The Content: The primary focus of this RFP is for an independent DEIS to address the overall impacts to the sustainability of the region resulting from permitted and proposed fracking activities with particular attention to the following specific issues: The Downstream Analysis. Potential adverse downstream impacts to the middle Delaware River region above the Delaware Water Gap, including: impacts to water quality and quantity in and along the Delaware River and related secondary impacts water resource availability extraction of immense quantities of groundwater contamination of groundwater, river water and drinking water due to extraction chemicals, natural chemicals and radioactivity released by fracking and spills flooding and water levels, impacts to natural areas and their ecosystems and their human uses, and specifically: use of the Delaware system for tourism and eco-tourism, fishing and river-based tourism and the National Park Service administered National Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area. Including a particular emphasis on potential impacts to New Jersey, its communities and its residents. The Gateway Analysis involving Potential impacts for the small city of Port Jervis, Orange County, New York and it’s tri-state surrounding. A gateway community along the Delaware River, Port Jervis is located at the confluence of the Delaware and the Neversink Rivers and at the edge but within the Marcellus Shale area. Port Jervis is of interest because it has the potential for resource extraction nearby, it is a major crossroads for gaining access to a region where fracking is planned, and it is clearly downstream from major areas of fracking activity. Impacts to the Port are likely to be representative of effects to the New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas of the Delaware to the south. In particular, the study of Port Jervis should consider the closely interlinked tri-state metropolitan area that includes Matamoras, Pennsylvania and Montague, New Jersey. The Distribution Analysis, reflecting the “myriad of pipelines and gathering lines, small feeder lines, and processing and storage facilities…being constructed…to carry shale gas to market (Comments of the Delaware Riverkeeper to NYDEC, December 2009).” Particular attention is to be given to El Paso Corporation’s proposal to extend the Tennessee Gas line through the New Jersey Highlands. The Community Analysis. A generic impact assessment of a small community (it can be modeled after a New York or Pennsylvania community where fracking is already permitted or where proposed fracking would occur) to identify potential adverse effects to the community from fracking, including social (e.g., changes to community character, changed quality of life), economic (e.g., boom-bust cycles, harm to local and nature-based economy, demand for public services) and environmental (including effects to human health) effects associated with drilling, but also secondary, cumulative and long term impacts.  SCOPING ITEMS FOR THE FRACKING IMPACT ASSESSMENT Note that initials designate the author of the question and assignments are in (). The Generic Content: Need Analysis (Economic) Is there a “need” for extracting the natural gas in terms of increased domestic energy supply, less dependence on foreign oil imports, and a locally increased energy supply against alternative energy supplies? Alternatives Analysis: The No-Action Alternative. What are the impacts of a no-action alternative which projects the baseline forward ten, twenty and fifty years? The Better Technology Alternative: Are there alternative approaches to fracking operations or different mitigation approaches that would produce differential impacts than the methods proposed for use at ten, twenty and fifty years? The Sustainability Alternative. Is there an alternative approach that would maximize the long-term sustainability of the primary impact and downstream impact areas at ten, twenty and fifty years? Cumulative effects analysis What are the cumulative effects of the total hydro-fracking-based gas extraction program in the New York/Pennsylvania region of the Marcellus Shale at ten, twenty and fifty years? What are the impacts of gas fracking-based energy production for meeting carbon targets for NJ, NY and Pa, U.S. targets and international treaty obligations?Barbb (energy) by 2020 and 2050? Impact Analysis What are the impacts of fracking activities at these time/activity scales? Project Impacts by temporal sequence Baseline Include authorities Construction Operation Post-Operation/ Closure at 10, 20 and 50 years 1. The Downstream Analysis Generic: What is the overall catalog of potential adverse impacts for New Jersey? Baseline: What permits are needed for water Extraction/injection? Mattw What are current conditions and water levels in the Delaware? Mattw What chemicals/contaminants are currently in the Delaware and other receiving streams? Mattw What current and planned municipal and private water systems utilize local waters and the Delaware River (with details)? How many users rely on such systems by system (municipal, private, etc.)? For every point of measured impact, what are the baseline figures for comparison? Impacts: Generic: Will drinking water in the downstream impact area (New Jersey particularly) be affected?  RachKohl Water Quality: Due to fracking… Will chemical contamination to drinking water occur? Will natural gas contamination to drinking water occur? Will contamination of drinking water due to extraction chemicals occur? Will contamination of drinking water due to the release of naturally-occurring chemicals occur? Will contamination of drinking water due to radioactivity occur? Will contamination of drinking water due to waste or emissions from mining activities washing into or depositing onto surface waters occur? 11 Water Supply: Due to fracking… Will hydraulic fracturing contribute to or cause a shortage of potable water in New Jersey and how many people would be affected? Will water resource availability other than for drinking be impacted? Will contamination limit water supply due to extraction chemicals? Will contamination limit water supply due to natural chemicals released by fracking? Will contamination limit water supply due to radioactivity released by fracking and spills? Will impacts to the Delaware be similar to those projected for the New York city water system? Emma Will reserve water resources be able to replace any damaged resources? Katie Surface Water: Due to fracking… Will surface water contamination occur due to waste materials being exposed to the air, erosion, and often entering surface water? Will surface water contamination occur due to fracking chemicals being exposed to the air, erosion, and often entering surface water? Will water and gas extraction impact base stream flow? Will there be potential changes to water levels or flood patterns of local rivers, including the Delaware, due to fracking? Will major spills or other accidental impacts occur and with what consequences?katel Will water extraction affect surface water flow patterns?Mattw Will there be impacts for flooding events? Will there be impacts to water levels in the river? Will there be impacts to reservoirs? Will surface water contamination potentially impact area wildlife, including the fish population which draws tourists and other riparian and river life? Groundwater Baseline: Are chemicals (benzene, etc.) identified with fracking present in the region before fracking? RAdams Impact: Due to fracking… Will there be impacts to CAA protected well-heads in the downstream impact area? Will contamination of ground water occur due to extraction chemicals? Will contamination of ground water occur due to natural chemicals? Will contamination of ground water occur due to radioactivity released by fracking and spills? Will there be impact from the extraction of such large quantities of water? Will ground water intrusion occur? Mattw Will there be a threat of losing open spaces where groundwater can be accessed in the downstream region? RachKohl Economic Due to fracking… Will water treatment plants be impacted by contaminants? Cost? Jeff Will harm occur to the eco-tourism and river-based economy? Will the cost benefit balance between host communities and downstream communities?emma Will instances of environmental stigma occur? Will lost opportunities occur for local livelihood and economy? Psychosocial Due to fracking… Will residents of downstream communities be impacted? Will recreational users be impacted? Will people whose livelihood depends on the Delaware River be impacted? Will impacts occur to natural areas and their ecosystems along the Delaware? Will impacts occur for human uses of the Delaware system for tourism and eco-tourism, fishing and river-based tourism? Will impacts occur for use and maintenance of the National Park Service administered National Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area? Will visitor experience of cultural resources be altered by fracking? Will such activities such as hiking, fishing, canoeing, shopping, or attending festivals be affected by fracking? Visual Due to fracking… Will aesthetic assets such as the Delaware Water Gap be degraded? Will a sense of wilderness or wild be lost? Will the knowledge of contamination diminish the attraction of the area? Will river sediment cleanup be necessitated, as with PCBs on the Hudson River, creating a visual intrusion on the river? Will dumpsites be required that are visually unaesthetic? Hazards, toxics, contamination Due to fracking… Will New Jersey's preserved open space areas be placed at risk for contamination? RachKohl Will posting of hazards or “no fishing” be necessitated? Mitigation: Will these impacts be avoided through use of alternative fracking chemicals? Mattw Energy/Waste Due to fracking… Will waste sites be created for solid or liquid contaminated materials and wastes? Mattw Noise Due to fracking… Will noise, odor or vibration impacts affect tourists and tourism along the Delaware? Traffic Baseline: What river traffic/transport currently exists on Delaware region waters? What is the recreational use of waters? Impacts: Due to fracking… Will commercial transportation on the river be affected? Will recreational use of the waters become hazardous and limited or placed off limits? Fauna Baseline: What species of fauna are found in the Area of Primary Impact and the Area of Downstream impact? What endangered, threatened, or protected species are found in the Area of Potential Primary Impact as well as the Area of Potential Downstream Impact? Impacts: Due to fracking? Will impacts occur for fauna (mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and amphibians) found in the Area of Primary Impact and the Area of Downstream impact? Will endangered, threatened, or protected species found in the Area of Potential Primary Impact as well as the Area of Potential Downstream Impact be impacted? Will habitat fragmentation and edge issues be expanded? Will invasive species be encouraged? Will ecosystem imbalance be expanded? e species and harm others. Generic Community Analysis Generic: What are the short term construction related impacts, the extraction period impacts and the post-extraction impacts?  Baseline: How proximate are homes and buildings to fracking zones? Jend Impacts: Due to fracking? Will there be potential environmental risks?  RachKohl Will impacts occur to residential and farm wells; if so, who is responsible for testing and remediation? Cb Groundwater Baseline: What are ambient radiation levels (for comparison to fracking caused radiation)? JenT Impacts: Due to fracking? Will precautions be taken to ensure that groundwater levels do not become depleted? Jennt The process of hydraulic fracturing uses one million gallons of water per fracturing event in vertical wells, and three million gallons of water per fracturing event in horizontal wells. Mattw Due to fracking? Will CAA well-head protection issues occur in the immediate impact area? Will the quality of the groundwater be affected? Will the quantity of the groundwater be affected? Jent Will there be impacts to soil and geology of the area due to primary or secondary gas extraction and distribution activities? Will depletion of aquifers occur as the result of fracking? Will intrusion into aquifers occur as the result of fracking? Geologic Due to fracking? Will there be higher chances of earthquakes due to drilling activity and increased vibrations? KateL, Will drilling increase seismic risk? Jt Will unused and abandoned or closed wells be affected and how? KateL Energy and Waste Due to fracking? Will well injection disposal wastes be generated and where will they be placed? Will reclamation be required to restore the mined areas for other uses? Chris Will energy consumption increase? Will waste be created in the process of building, maintaining, using and decommissioning fracking equipment? Will waste occur through secondary impacts like construction, road building, and infrastructure infrastructure, including pipelines, processing stations, compressor stations, ventilation power sources and gas storage facilities? And with what impact? Will more energy be used in comparison to the total amount of energy being extracted? Socio-Economic: Baseline: What is the demographic data on landowners who have accepted leases and with what terms (and secondary impacts)?CB What is the maximum number of such leases that could occur? CB Impacts: Due to fracking? Will there intra-community conflict over leasing? Will there be clear responsibility if leaks occur? CB Will there be new employment opportunities, with what skill levels and in what areas of work and for what duration and with h How many and what jobs available for locals? CB Will there be potential adverse economic impacts (e.g., boom-bust cycles, harm to local and nature-based economy, demand for public services)? Will residents or businesses be forced to relocate? Lg Will property values be affected? BT Will there be impacts due to property compensation practices for leased land? Em Will ‘boom and bust’ cycles be created, including short term vs permanent jobs’ creation and short term damage to the environment that would require repair? Will there be environmental contamination entailing cleanup and reclamation costs? Will benefits and revenue accrue to states and localities? Barbb Health and Safety Due to fracking? Will potential threats to human health occur from the chemicals compounds used in fracking? Will potential threats to human health occur from groundwater contamination and downstream water contamination? Will there be dangers of explosion and fire related to the extraction, storage and transportation of the fracked gas and the potential consequences? Will there be significant dangers from a possible release of radioactive materials from the Marcellus Shale? Will mining sites be accessible to the public? Will adequate warning signs and limited site access be enforced? CB Noise Baseline: What federal, state and local noise regulations set parameters for noise impacts? KateL Will fracking noise be subject to regulation? Impacts: Due to fracking? Will noise occur and at what levels and types? Will there be significant increases in traffic and, if so, will there be increased noise levels? KateL Will people visiting natural areas be affected by noise? Will fauna be affected by noise? Will noises be loud enough to cause hearing damage? Will psychological stress be caused by resulting noise? Will vibration issues occur for proximate buildings? Will there be light impacts? Will there be odor impacts? Will noise and vibration impacts occur due to transportation of equipment, creation of construction and well sites, actual fracking activity, and any other parts of the process? Traffic/Transport Due to Fracking: Will there be increased traffic in the area? KateL Will transportation related emissions increase? Barbb Will road runoff damage (oil, salt, erosion, etc.) occur? Air Pollution Baseline: How would the natural gas emissions released into the air be monitored and contained? Jen T. Impact: Due to Fracking: Will there be an increase in air pollution hazards? Chris Toxins and Radioactivity Due to Fracking: Will there be environmental and health impacts associated with the method used to pressurize wells and release natural gas, including gels, foams, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, air, various propellants are also used including sand, resin coated sand, radioactive sand, and man-made ceramics? Will there be environmental and health impacts associated with the release of radium-226? Will there be threats to worker health and safety? Fauna Due to Fracking: Baseline: What floral species are currently protected, threatened, endangered, play an integral role in the regional ecology, or are considered an indicator species? Impacts: Will invasive species be introduced and how can this be mitigated? KateL Will some species of animals be particularly vulnerable to impact?\ Will the food chain be affected? Alex G Flora Due to fracking: Baseline: What environmentally critical areas exist in the region of primary impact? To what degree are plant species in the region of impact highly specialized and unable to adapt to such altered environments? What floral species are currently protected, threatened, endangered, play an integral role in the regional ecology, or are considered an indicator species? What species of plants are present in the primary and downstream impact zones? What flora are vulnerable to disturbances related to various aspects of the fracking process? Are there large holdings unfragmented systems in the primary impact region? Are there any endangered or endemic species in the area? Alex s What areas of commercial plant production exist in the primary area of impact? Impact: Will there be diminishment of ecosystems? Brian Will ecosystem fragmentation occur? Will fragmentation be clustered? Alex s Will ecosystem services be diminished or threatened (including park lands/open space, water filtration and supply, forest services, erosion controlling, aquifer recharge, etc)? Will physical degradation of habitat and fragmentation occur due to construction of roads, gas pipelines, and preparation areas for the drilling rigs? Will floral impacts occur due to pesticide use to suppress vegetation and maintain open corridors along utility access routes? Will invasive plant species spread?KateL Will there be impacts from leakage of wells and pipelines? Will there be adverse impacts to agriculture? CB Will soil fertility be impacted, especially for any agricultural lands? Jent Psycho-Social Due to fracking? Will there be changes to community character? Will there be a changed quality of life? Will residents feel at risk or victimized? Will communities experience internal conflict? Will residents lose their attachment to their homes? Will stress affect relationships within families? Will perceived healthy problems occur? Will residents of immediate communities be impacted? Will impacts occur to (rural) community character? Will aesthetics be affected (scenic views, cultural history, and the peaceful green landscape)? Will there be induced growth (development pressures)? Will people be forced to make lifestyle changes due to environmental contamination? Will there be new demands for public services? Will similar community impacts occur as have occurred elsewhere? Will there be changes in social interaction with the environment? Will road congestion increase? Environmental Justice Baseline: What are the demographic characteristics of the affected communities? Impacts: Due to fracking: Will there be discriminatory or disproportionate impacts based on race, income, religion, or minority status? Will any people become environmental victims? Will community groups and landowner coalitions form around this issue? Will there be intra community conflict due to gas leasing? Will any patterns of harm occur due to powerlessness or relative stigma? Visual Impacts Due to fracking: Will the site be visible? Who will maintain its invisibility? CB The Gateway (Port Jervis Area) Analysis Generic: What potential adverse impacts might occur for Port Jervis, New York and it’s tri-state surrounding? What is spatial distribution of actual, leased, potential fracks? Economic: Due to fracking? Will economic costs and benefits occur for the gateway region? Will ‘boom and bust’ cycles be created, including short term vs permanent jobs creation and short term damage to the environment that would require repair? Will there be secondary costs incurred due to rapid deterioration of roads not designed to carry the volume of truck traffic and who will bear those costs? Will housing and real estate values increase due to demand created by fracking employees? Will impacts to schools and other local budgets would be caused by the heavy influx of construction workers involved in gas recovery? Noise Due to fracking: Will increased traffic of the area affect/increase ongoing noise levels? KateL Will the nearby city of Port Jervis be affected by 24 hour noise and light pollution as a result from drilling wells? KateL Traffic/Transport Baseline: What is the status of the existing road infrastructure in the impact region (including LOS) and is it sufficient to accommodate fracking-related traffic and transportation? Impacts: Due to fracking: Will traffic in the areas of the drilling increase? Will truck trips will be necessitated by the need to bring in water, construct new infrastructure as well as remove waste material? Will new roads have to be built to reach the areas of drilling, and with environmental and human impacts? Will increased traffic in the area affect/increase ongoing noise levels? KateL Will boom and permanent increases in the local population and economy strain transport networks? Will pipeline demand be created to transport gas and water and with what impact? Will construction of additional roads be required and will they be paved? Jonp Will the increasing traffic influx be enough to alter the region's air quality? Jonp Air Pollution Baseline: What is the CAA status of the region, including state SIPS? Jonp What other sources of pollution exist in the area or are approved or proposed? Jonp Impacts: Due to fracking: Will dust impacts occur? Jonp Will the CAA status of the target region be impacted, including levels of sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, air toxins, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane and volatile organic compounds? Will air quality from equipment and emissions occur? Will air quality in the surrounding region be impacted? Will emissions be created by the construction vehicles, including CO emissions and PM and from vehicle idling? Will emissions be created by methane leaks from the wells? Will emissions be created by the release of volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons, NoX and SoX? Will odors be caused by hydro-fracking? Will air releases affect a particular airshed given wind conditions and likely dispersal patterns; what sensitive receptors may be affected? Will ambient air in the impact regions be different before, during and after fracking? Will hydro-fracking impacts influence the SIPS of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey? Will fracking impact New Jersey’s compliance with their carbon emission targets, as well as Pa. and NY? Cultural Baseline: What cultural resources exist in the target areas including arts, railroad, recreational activities, and scenic beauty? Impacts: Due to fracking: Will cultural resource be adversely impacted? Will restaurants and local businesses that depend on tourism related to cultural resources be adversely impacted? Will local communities in the Area of Potential Primary Impact be affected? Will there be increased demand for community services such as police, medical, fire, and schools? Visual Due to fracking: Will there be visual impacts due to construction and fracking/extraction activities? Groundwater, Soil & Geology Due to fracking: Will physical impacts occur to the city of Port Jervis, New York? Will groundwater, soil and geology of the area be impacted? Will the Port’s water supply be impacted? Psycho-Social Due to fracking: Will the character of the region and community be affected? Distribution Analysis Baseline: What existing pipelines and infrastructure exists to support distribution of gas from the Marcellus Shale sites in Sulliavan County, NY and nearby Pennsylvania? Impacts: Due to fracking: Will adverse affects occur due to pipelines and other accessory distribution facilities required to carry extracted shale gas to market to Port Jervis and the surrounding area and to New Jersey? Jonp Will there be adverse impacts of extending the Tennessee Gas line through the New Jersey Highlands? Will construction of the pipeline impact immediately surrounding areas? Will there be any health risk of prolonged exposure or explosion or releases and spills for people or animals that would live near the pipelines? Barbb Will the completed and operating pipelines affect the immediately surrounding areas? Will buildings need to be constructed on site, and what sources of emissions will they create? Visual Will visual impacts occur due to pipeline extensions and transport of natural gas?  Will there be one description of the project for the entire firm to draw from? Description of Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic Fracturing is a process by which a well is drilled into the ground to a depth typically below the water table. When it reaches an adequate depth it is essentially steered to become horizontal within the desired formation for the future fracking. In this case, the well is horizontally drilled through the Marcellus shale. Need map and description Once the well is long enough the drill bit is then removed and a mixture of chemicals, water, and Proppant explain as this is a technical termis pumped into the well under great pressure. This high pressure fluid causes the shale to fracture. The fluid mixture is then mostly pumped out and any gas that was trapped within the now fractured rock is extracted to the surface. Location There should be a series of maps for the whole document at the onset Note on footnotes---they take up a lot of room in the text. End notes are more economical and using in text citing to a bibliography is more economical yet with endnotes used for notes but not citations. Groundwater, Soil & Geology is this all Jenny or Brian too? Clarify authorship of sections (not done in field but we should do it) This is where a detailed description opf Marcellus shale should reside and how it is a source of gas and the resident constituents of the bedrock that might also be released. Baseline Geology The Marcellus Shale predominantly extends from west central New York, southwest through Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The Marcellus Shale formation is composed of black and dark gray shale, siltstone and limestone. The shale formation covers approximately 18,700 square miles in New York, bound by US Route 20 in the north and interstate 87 along with the Hudson River in the east extending all the way to the Pennsylvania border.awk these boundaries do not match what I have seen It ranges in depth, into the Catskills reaching depths of over 1,800 feet. awk Along the Pennsylvania border in the Delaware River Valley, the depth reaches 7,000 feet below the surface. Geologists have estimated that the Marcellus Shale contains between 168 trillion to 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas throughout the formation. This what?is due to how shale formations are created. It was formed within a deep trough basin between the rise of the Cincinnati Arch and collision boundary between two plates. awkThe collisions of these plates over time resulted in a rapid burial process for the organic matter which is the current source of the natural gas. Shale accumulates as mud in energy deficient areas in tidal pools or other small bodies of still water where the clay and organic materials can mix together and eventually form the shale. awkSince the formation of the shale lends itself to being created in thin layers, it has minimal permeability horizontally and even more minimal permeability vertically, making vertical extraction less difficult.awk Geophysical gamma ray logs indicate that the shale has a slightly radioactive signature. In addition, the shale contains concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) such as uranium-238 and radium-226 at higher levels than other rock formations. Baseline Port Jervis Geology The city of Port Jervis lies within a valley formed by the Delaware River as it joins the Neversink River located within the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province which bends westward into northern New Jersey, bordered by the Highlands.. Layers of durable sandstone and conglomerate form the ridges while limestone and shale underlie the valleys. Port Jervis is also a part of the Sedimentary Appalachians, which is underlain by flat-lying to steeply folded and faulted Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Over half of the city has an elevation of less than 500 feet above sea level. Flooding potentialThe land is generally flat moving away from the rivers, gradually become moderately sloping mountains. Further from the rivers, during periods of rain, rapid runoff occurs and deposits to areas of the flat land. Fracking Impacts for Geology It is believed that geological materials can act as natural barriers, providing protection to the groundwater. Shale serves as a natural barrier to the vertical migration of fluids. In addition, the shale zones, like the Devonian-aged shale, present between the Marcellus Shale and shallow groundwater area provides protection of the groundwater resources from the fracking treatments used to develop the Marcellus Shale. For example, some parts have more than 7,000 feet of sedimentary rock strata between the Marcellus Shale and the shallow groundwater system in the Appalachian Basin. The assorted types of shale in the area have a varied physical character so that there will not be fractures across multiple shale zones. However, the drilling and fracturing process must be closely monitored to ensure that fractures in surrounding formations do not occur. source I would do a section on fractures and faults before seismicity---use the map we saw, Wes promised to send Baseline Seismic Activity Across New York State there have been a total of 813 seismic events recorded between December 1970 and July 2009. Only twenty four of these events had magnitudes greater than or equal to three, meaning they were relatively significant. Earthquakes below a magnitude of three are typically only detectable with sensitive equipment. A majority of the earthquake events occurred in the Adirondack Mountains and along the border between New York and Quebec.The largest seismic event during this time occurred in Plattsburg on April 20, 2002 with a magnitude of 5.3. in this case, seismic activity in Pa is also relevant. Fracking Impacts on Seismic Activity There are two types of seismic events that may be caused as a result of hydraulic fracturing. The physical process of fracturing the rock releases energy which creates microseismic events that are virtually undetectable. The second type of event is caused by any kind of fluid injection which can cause anything from microseismic events to small scaled earthquakes usually occurring if the injected fluid reaches a fault. Hydraulic fracturing releases energy during the fracturing process at levels substantially below that of small, naturally occurring, earthquakes. However, a 3.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred on February 3, 2001 in Steuben County was suspected to have been triggered by test injections for brine disposal at the New Acoca Natural Gas Storage facility. It is likely that an extended period of fluid injection near an existing fault caused the earthquake. The injection for the project occurred numerous times over the course of 6 to 28 days and used a different injection than that used for hydraulic fracturing. The Dale Brine Field incident in 1971 was the only other instance of seismic activity that was most likely human-induced. The Dale Brine Field is located near the Claredon-Linden fault zone which accounts for the fact that the fluids injected may have been able to reach the fault. The increase of pore fluid pressure along the fault may have resulted in the seismic activity. Fluids were injected into a well from August 3rd to October 8th and again from October 16th until November 9th. The injections were halted on November 9th due to an increase in seismic activity in the area of the injection wells, which decreased once injections ceased. The tremors were reportedly also felt by residents. Researchers from the Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory determined that the largest earthquake was 1.4 in magnitude that resulted from this incident. Similar mining well operations that occurred later located further from the fault system did not create an increase in seismic activity. Therefore, one can logically conclude that as long as the fracking activity does not occur too close to a known fault line that the area should not experience a seismic activity. Since the area is not prone to earthquakes and the seismic levels of past events have not been particularly significant, the risk for increased seismic activity is very low. Prior to drilling and obtaining well permits, a geological survey would have to be done by the applicant to ensure that they would not be drilling on a fault line. However, there is no increased risk to the public or their infrastructure from the seismicity related to fracking. Seismic monitoring should continue to be done by the established network in New York to document seismic activity and determine the cause of such events if they do occur. I would check with Emma, but I think the issue with the mini tremors that I would worry about is not an earthquake but further fracturing of rock that allows the fracking liquid to escape to groundwater. You also have to look at deep well injection since that will be used potentially to dispose of waste water. Is there a history of seizmicity with injection? Baseline Water Quality A lot more is needed on Sullivan. What kinds of aquifers How extensive How deep In Pike County, Pennsylvania, an area near the crossroads of New York and New Jersey on the Delaware River conducted a detailed analysis of the quality of the water in the area. Awk who did this?Overall, they found that the water sample from over half of the wells were slightly acidic with a median pH of 6.8. The water was found to be relatively soft meaning that there is a low concentration of calcium and magnesium ions and the dissolved oxygen concentrations were also found to be low. In more specifics, there was a detection of volatile organic compounds, which are typically associated with industrial human activities. Only three of the twenty-nine were detected at or above the reporting level including: 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane (TCA) at 0.2 μg/L, trichlorofluoromethane (Freon-11) at 39 μg/L, and trichloromethane (TCM, also known as chloroform) at 0.8 μg/L. None of these levels pose a health risk, however their detection in the groundwater indicates a low level of groundwater contamination from human activity. Radon-222 presence was greater than or equal to the proposed MCL standard of 300 pCi/L but did not exceed 4,000 pCi/L indicating that the water quality is within the EPA standards. An interesting note is that Radon-222 was reported in higher concentrations in water from bedrock aquifers as opposed to gravel/sand? That is because radon will escape not collect in the more porous surface aquifer. This is due to the fact that uranium minerals occur in Catskill Formation rocks, which are predominately bedrock. Radon-222 is of concern as it can pose a health risk when in the air. It may be released into the air when water is agitated as in common tasks, for example, showering or doing laundry. You confuse outdoor and indoor airThe highest recorded? amount of radon-222 was 2,650 pCi/L in two wells in the Catskill Formation. Other alpha and beta radiation levels within the groundwater were insignificant. Any gamma? By the way, periods go inside the footnote. However, in all the quality of the groundwater is relatively good. Low levels of human-made organic compounds, elevated concentrations of chloride, boron and nitrate indicate that human activity have had an effect on the groundwater, but not to the point where it is contaminated. Port Jervis is located within the Delaware River Drainage Basin, where there are 4,062 miles of rivers and streams and 188 lakes, ponds and reservoirs, and the Neversink River Watershed, encompassing 435 square miles, in addition to the Middle Delaware-Mongaup-Brodhead Watershed, containing 1,442 miles of streams and 1,551 miles of drainage areas. The City of Port Jervis has both immediate use and emergency potable-water supplies. The city receives their water from three interconnected reservoirs within the 3,000 acre watershed with a fourth used when water supplies are low. The Delaware River Watershed, which extends for 12,800 square miles, incorporates parts of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The water quality throughout this area is considered to be very good. As for water consumption, it is estimated that the combined commercial and industrial estimated usage is approximately 263 Mgal/d in the state. There are currently five bodies of water in the watershed that have poor water quality due to the deposition of atmospheric pollutants, mercury and acid rain. Groundwater resources, while very important and making up one third of the drinking water are not specifically tracked by New York’s Water Inventory/Priority Waterbodies List due to the difficulty in monitoring. Eighteen primary water supply aquifers have been identified across the state of New York being classified as highly productive and used by major municipalities and others that are also highly productive but not yet used as major suppliers to municipalities. These aquifers are considered to be highly permeable with a swallow water table, making them highly susceptible to contamination. Yes but it is a big state---what about Sullivan? You focus on water quality wihtou enough on water quantity Do communities or individuals use wells throughout the region? Hotels? A study on the water quality in the Delaware Water Basin was completed in 2001 and again in 2005 by the USGS. Ten bedrock wells, finished in shale and sandstone, and nine sand and gravel wells, finished in glaciofluvial deposits, were sampled. The color of the water sampled ranged from less than one to eighteen platinum-cobalt units, however the color of one sample exceeded the EPA SDWS. The turbidity of the samples collected in 2001 averaged at 2.4 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), however two samples exceeded the US EPA MCL of 5 NTU, having a measured turbidity at up to 15 NTU. The groundwater within the basin ranges from soft to moderately hard with pHs ranging from 5.6 to 8.3. The predominant nutrient found in the water was nitrate, however the concentrations did not exceed EPA or state standards. Three volatile organic compounds were detected in three sand and gravel wells. You need to make a distinction between bedrock and sand and gravel in your introDichlorodifluoromethane was detected in a concentration of 0.56 µg/L, methyl tert-butyl ether was detected in one well at a concentration of 0.1 µg/L and trichloromethane (commonly known as chloroform) was detected at a concentration of 0.03 µg/L.any source mentioned Radon-222 concentrations in drinking water are currently not strictly regulated, however the EPA has proposed the following to act as standards for it in the drinking water: 300 pCi/L MCL for areas that do not have an indoor air radon mitigation plan and 4,000 pCi/L MCL (AMCL) for areas that do. Concentrations of radon in all nineteen samples collected exceed these standards with the concentrations ranging from 580 pCi/L to 6,350 pCi/L, the median being 1,590 pCi/L. Uranium concentrations averaged at 0.5828 µg/L, not exceeding the 30 µg/L EPA standard. Eleven pesticideswhich were found in the water in addition, concentrations of aluminum, iron and manganese exceeded SDWA standards and one sample contained an arsenic concentration that exceeded the 10 µg/L. Therefore, the groundwater quality in the Delaware Water Basin is not where it should be. There are several contaminants at unacceptable levels that need to be remediated. Note: There is no accessible data available on the quality of New Jersey Water that I have found relevant to this project. There must be data on Sussex county Fracking Impacts on Water Quality An EPA report on hydraulic fracturing fluids states that the fracture engineers select fracturing fluids based on the site-specific characteristics, specifically the formation geology. Additionally, the gas industry is not required to disclose the specific chemicals it uses in fracturing, increasing the likelihood of there being unknown impacts to human and environmental healthrephrase. However, there are several types of injection fluids widely used for which the chemical composition is known. A linear gel delivery system which is a guar gum derivative of diesel contains the following: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, naphthalene, 1-methylnapthalene, 2-methylnapthalene, dimethylnapthalene, trimethylnapthalene, fluorine, phenanthrenes and aromatics. This is just one example of a product used in the hydraulic fracturing process. For a complete listing please see Table 3 in Appendix A, an excerpt from Lisa Sumi’s, Research Director of the Oil and Gas Accountability Project (OGAP), report: Our Drinking Water at Risk: What EPA and the Oil And Gas Industry Don’t Want Us to Know About Hydraulic Fracturing. However, just by looking at the linear gel delivery system’s contents, it is clear that there are several toxic chemicals present. In a report by the Argonne National Laboratory for the United States Department of Energy, they determined that some of these chemicals are known to be lethal at levels as low as 0.1 parts per million. Table 1 in Appendix A from Michael Berkowitz’s report for Environment America Research and Policy Center, titled Toxic Chemicals on Tap: How Natural Gas Drilling Threatens Drinking Water shows the various chemicals associated with natural gas drilling and the various health impacts they are known to have. Benzene, one of the more notoriously known human carcinogens is present within this particular product and all others that use diesel fuel as a fracturing fluid. Diesel fluid contains benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene all of which are harmful to humans. Benzene’s concentration at the point of injection into a well is 313 µg/l and the acceptable concentration in drinking water is 5 µg/l according to the MCL water quality standard, making it more the 63 times the acceptable amount. Now, while in theory it would become diluted when injected into the groundwater, it is difficult to determine by how much. Table 4 from Lisa Sumi’s, Research Director of the Oil and Gas Accountability Project (OGAP), report: Our Drinking Water at Risk: What EPA and the Oil And Gas Industry Don’t Want Us to Know About Hydraulic Fracturing describes several other toxic chemicals above the established acceptable concentration in drinking water, including: naphthalene, 1-methylnapthalene, 2-methylnapthalene, fluorenes, phenanthrenes, aromatics, ethylene glycol and methanol. See gasoline station and gas transport spills for info on benzene in water. This paragraph needs to be rewritten and broken down into sub paragraphs for better orization and clarity. In some wells, it is estimated that 65 to 91 percent of the fluids injected remain underground. Therefore, they have the potential to migrate through underground aquifers, spreading contamination to the potable water supply. For example, the EPA is currently investigating wells in Pavillion, Wyoming after finding approximately one-third of the wells serving the small town of 172 people to be contaminated specifically with 2-Butoxyethanol, a known carcinogen. Additionally, fracturing has the potential to disturb various underground formations and release naturally occurring toxic substances to enter the aquifers or even the natural gas itself. Say more The Safe Drinking Water Act section 300g-1 requires the EPA to establish a maximum acceptable level for a given contaminant and create a national primary drinking water provision if it is proven that the contaminant may adversely affect human health, that there is a significant likelihood that the contaminant will permeate the public water systems at a rate and quantity that raises health concerns and that the regulation of the contaminant will reduce the public health risk. However, the EPA is permitted to select the best available peer reviewed literature which they can be biased in choosing and coming to the conclusions they and their constituents’ desire. This does not help protect drinking water from the potential for contamination of the water due to hydraulic fracturing.explain all better and note that SDWA applies to water systems like municipal systems or at least shared systems Additionally, the “Halliburton Loophole” inserted into the 2005 Energy Policy Act created an exemption of hydraulic fracturing from the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Safe Drinking Water Act 300h states that: “underground injection” defined; underground injection endangerment of drinking water sources…excludes (i) the underground injection of natural gas for purpose of storage; and (ii) the underground injection of fluids or propping agents (other than diesel fuels) pursuant to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas or geothermal production activities. In other words, hydraulic fracturing has been essentially excluded from the SDWA. Therefore, although there are clear risks to the groundwater, the SDWA is not protecting the drinking water.not professional language However, New York has said that this exclusion does not hinder their ability to continue to monitor the groundwater and ensure that their communities have safe drinking water. Explain better It is important to note that the EPA addressed the hazard of using diesel fuel, which is why it is mentioned in the SDWA 300h, as a part of the fracking operation by asking companies to voluntarily stop using diesel fuel in limited situations including when they were fracking in coal bed methane deposits in sources of underground drinking water. Only three companies, Halliburton Energy Services Inc., Schlumberger Technology Corporation and BJ Services Company signed the voluntary agreement under provisions that if they were to start using diesel fuel again, they would simply have to notify the EPA. Since there is no mandatory reporting and since it is a voluntary agreement localized to only three companies and limited to one type of geological formation, it makes this request unenforceable and benzene contamination in the drinking water plausible. Awk and make clearer and explain more fully There are levels of Radon-222 within the water in the Delaware River Basin that exceed the proposed EPA standards without fracking occurring. With the potential of additional radioactive materials to enter the water due to the fracking process, the concentrations will only further increase. This could be detrimental to the drinking water supply, however since hydraulic fracturing is except from the SDWA legislation, this could allow the levels of contaminants to become unregulated. Prior to fracking, it would be prudent to remediate the contamination already present within the Delaware River Basin and for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) to also continue to monitor the groundwater contamination levels. NYDEC claims that municipal water wells are protected as they require an environmental assessment if a proposed gal well in within 2,000 feet of the well. All private wells are protected by strict construction requirements. Wells must have a surface casing, with cement liners, as they go deeper, there is an intermediate casing, followed by a production casing. What is the applicability of CWA here? Baseline Water Quantity Both surface and ground water are withdrawn daily, in fact New York ranks among the top with respect to the amount of water withdrawn. Strange sentence are you speaking of gw or all water?In 2000, the total water withdrawal was 9,000 to 10,000 million gallons per day. As of 2003, the total amount of water withdrawn from the Delaware River Basin was 8,736 million gallons per day. The water usage can be broken down as follows: 65 percent was used for thermoelectric power generation, 10% for the public water supply, 7.4% for New York City, 7% for hydroelectric and 5.7% for industrial uses. In order to withdraw water, various permits must be obtained. A new law in New York requires that any individual or industry that is capable of withdrawing more than 100,000 gallons per day must be reported to the Department of Environmental Conservation. Additionally, the Delaware River Basin Commission and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission each use a permitting system to regulate the water usage in each basin. They each require a detailed description of the entire project and specifying the location, water sources, withdrawal locations, rate of extraction and the duration. Upon approval, there are metering and quarterly reports due to the commission to ensure proper use and management of the precious water resources. Explain a bit more Fracking Impacts on Water Quantity The DRBC who is that?has received an application to withdraw up to 1.0 MGD of surface water thus farfor what? and the SRBC who is that?has approved applications to use 8.86 MGD fracking related water use. In the Susquehanna River basin which is where?, it is estimated that the water use for gas drilling will take up less than 6% of the total use for water supply, power and recreation. However, these estimates seem low as fracking can require up to three million gallons of water per treatment after the well has been drilled.what number where the estimates based on? Regional and local water management agencies are concerned about how they would be able to allocate these large volumes, especially during times of draught. In order to determine the impacts on the groundwater usage, a permit must be applied for and an analysis must be conducted to determine if the aquifers within the area could support increased withdrawal. One major gap here has to do with an analysis of use of downstream Delaware water, as well as local water. How many users are at risk of losing water quality and through what kind of systems? Can constitutents potentially added to the water be treated and if not what are the ramifications? Do a parallel analysis to NYC’s. You can mention NYC water system and Hudson drainage to showcase the Delaware focus you have. This section is off to a good start. Much to do, but shows active effort. Energy? Barbara---where is your section? Site reclamation? What is this part of ---still geology, soils, etc/? Whose section is this? Obviuous context needs to be provided to this and following sections now presented out of context and therefore making no sense Site reclamation is an important step in the abandonment process. Failure to properly restore a site can lead to severe soil erosion and siltation of surface water bodies, which can result to less productive land to agriculture, wildlife habitat and other uses. Once the well is plugged, the site must be reclaimed by removing the equipment and grading the surface to match the surrounding areas. It is encouragedhow? for the operators to set aside all topsoil removed during site construction so that it can be replaced when the well is restored after drilling. The top soil must be replaced and the site must be seeded to re-establish vegetation. If there is no requirement to replace top soil, if contaminated and disturbed soils must be disposed of somehow and if top soil has a good market price to sell off, what really are the chances that topsoils are going to be replaced? Waste disposal Whose work? Most waste generated at well sites are awkin liquid form. All water that is used in the stimulation process and collected at the surface is contained in a plastic lined pit or steel tank so that it can be disposed of in DEP (Department of Environmental Protection)-regulated/permitted disposal sites that are located in the Commonwealth. Surface spills can occur on a drilling site as a result of tank ruptures, equipment failures, accidents or improper operations. These spills would involve chemicals present at the site during the drilling phase. The pit, where water would be stored for transport, is possible to have a leakage or failure. Spilled or leaked fluids could flow to a surface water body or can infiltrate the ground reaching soils and aquifers. This section is so brief that I will not comment until much more is done Carbon Emissions Chris and Jon? The green house gas emissions that are emitted from oil and gas industry operations, and are expected in the exploration and development of the Marcellus Shale are CO2 and CH4. awk These emissions occur at many stages of the drilling, completion and production phases. Vented emissions of CH4, are defined as releases resulting from normal operations. By whom and in what quantitites?Transportation combustion sources may include vehicles such as cars and trucks used for personnel transport as well as tanker trucks and flatbed trucks used to haul equipment and supplies. These engines are a significant source of CO2 emissions. The trucking of hydraulic fracture equipment and material is over 80% of the total amount of truck traffic involved during the lifetime of the well. The heavy trucking takes place for several weeks before and after the hydraulic fracture. The use of multi well pads has the potential to reduce truck traffic in an area which as a result can lower greenhouse gas emissions significantly. Explain better Oil and natural gas operations are the largest human made source of CH4 in the US. Emission rates and calculations from the flaring of natural gas are presented in the 2009 ICF International report. In that report, it was determined that approximately 576 tons of CO2 and 4.1 tons of CH4 are emitted each day for a well being flared at a rate of ten million cubic feet per day. Total emissions from proposed activity CO2 (tons) In-state sourcing Out-of-state sourcing Estimated first year green house gas emissions from one-well project 12,254 – 12,269 12,825-13,115 Estimated post first year annual GHG emissions from one-well project 12,263 12,302 Estimated first year GHG emissions from 10-well pad 12,005-12,110 16,024-18,129 Estimated post first year annual GHG emissions from ten-well project 55,534 55,826 Note: Work needs to be done for the comparison of current GHG emissions in comparison to the projected GHG emissions. Source of data? Is this your own chart? Explain fully Marcellus shale gas production whose work is this and why is it here? There is no apparent order to this document at the moment. It needs a careful outline. The Marcellus Shale formation is estimated to contain 200 to 500 trillion cubic feet of total natural gas reserves and is considered one of the largest potential sources of developable energy in the United States. According to the Penn State research on prospects and economic impacts of developing the Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Play???, the production from Marcellus wells during 2008 averaged around 40 million cubic feet of gas equivalents per day. Based upon a projection, it should rise to about 550 million cubic feet per day in 2010 and 4,000 million cubic feet per day in 2020. Below is a chart that shows the current and potential markets for Marcellus gas, based on Pennsylvania and its 5 surrounding states. Note: Work needs to be done on comparison of the amount of energy being used as opposed to the amount of energy being extracted. Yes and these need to find their place in your outline Current and potential markets for Marcellus Gas source? Note that the chart seems to deal only with consumption for a “cuyrrent” year---what year would that be? It also deals with replacement of natural gas for coal but does not show excess production beyond replacement. Is there some reason to assume that there will not be growth in demand beyond replacement of coal by natural gas? Air Quality Jon and Chris? Natural Gas emissions into the air are nearly impossible to be contained.why? Once the gas is released it dissipates and cannot be re collected.different issue The only method for containing Natural gas emissions into the air is prevention in the first place. It should be noted that Intentional venting and flaring is required in some cases. (NY DEP REPORT) contradiction? Why have intentional venting if you can’t contain it? Natural gas emissions into the air are monitored and reported as per regulations set forth in Section 603 (p 452) of the Clean xair Act. Within this section it states “Methane emissions associated with natural gas extraction, transportation, distribution, storage, and use. Such report shall include an inventory of methane emissions associated with such activities within the United States. Such emissions include, but are not limited to, accidental and intentional re- leases from natural gas and oil wells, pipelines, processing facilities, and gas burners. The report shall also include an inventory of methane generation with such activities.” (clean Air act p 452) this paragraph reads as if it were taken out of context. You need to make it fit to your point better. Better yet, paraphrase and credit but drop the quote. Here is my edit to make the point clear: Methane emissions associated with natural gas extraction, transportation, distribution, storage, and use are regulated under Section 603 of the Clean Air Act. The regulation requires that an inventory of methane emissions be made, to also include accidental and intentional releases from natural gas and oil wells, pipelines, processing facilities and gas burners (CAA, p. 452). Particulate Matter (PM2.5?) is an addition concern, particularly during the construction phase of the drilling sites due to removal of flora and disturbance of soil as well as construction vehicle emissions. (Clean air act figures in Future appendix). PM problems can be mitigated by reducing the amount of dust generated from bare soil through such temporary methods as water spraying, tillage, irrigation, fencing, application of calcium chloride and use of adhesives to hold the soil in place and through such permanent measures to control dust as gravel covering, planting of permanent vegetation and topsoiling (covering disturbed areas with soil that is resistant to erosion (EPA fact sheet). During the actual drilling phase the Drill rigs will contribute emissions via their powerplants. Pumps required to compress the gas and transport it through piping will also contribute to potential air pollution. (NY DEIS) Research needed to find the values close to Port Jervis Area. We plan on contacting the NY DEP to get NAAQS and CAA figures from Port Jervis and the surrounding area.(to be revised) More Information needed- Research in progress, trying to use census information. Trip to port Jervis will help with this questions Potential dust impacts can occur during the construction phase of the drilling sites. As Flora and ground cover is removed soil may become airborne increasing the particulate matter in the immediate area. Construction and mining vehicles traveling in the area may also carry particulate matter out of the immediate area and disperse it. Also if roads to access sites are unpaved the continuous transit of these routes may also potentially increase particulate matter in the air. ILLUSTRATED HERE IS THE NEED FOR YOU TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW AS SEPARATE PHASES PRE-CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION, OPERATIONS AND CLOSURE. For all intentional purposes any emissions into the air will impact the quality of the air in the region. UNCLEARAs for the mining operation, it depends on how many pieces of equipment are required and often they are operated.UNCLEAR Yes, Emissions from equipment will occur. Diesel powered equipment will contribute (INSERT figures on diesel engines). No, Emissions from the mining operations will be too small to make a significant impact on the surrounding area. (cite NY DEIS) awkward 2 graphs The numerous emissions that are given off by a natural gas mining site are important factors to take into consideration when looking at the impact that a mining facitlysp will have on its surrounding area. Emissions will start becoming an issue of concern as soon as the construction of the site begins. Industrial construction vehicles are the source of many different types of air emissions including carbon monoxide and particulate matter. The dust that the vehicles generates awkcan make up to 77% of the emissions a construction vehicle creates. With this number removed, these vehicles create 25,385 tons per year of material that they emit into the atmosphere 1. The carbon monoxide that is emitted from the industrial vehicles makes up 1.4-2.2% of the emissions released during a season in areas that have been studied 1. clarify Fugitive emissions, or gases that are released accidentally into the environment, are another issue that needs to be addressed. Gases that escape, but are not guaranteed to be present, can include ethane, propane, butane, pentanes, water vapor, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, helium, nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds or VOC’s 2. The gas that escapes in the largest amounts is methane 3. It is mainly released from the mining process where it escapes during the process of mining, storage, transportation, and distribution 3. In 2008, 4,591 gigagrams of methane escaped 4. The next top two gases that escape are carbon dioxide from untreated streams of hydrocarbons and some processes of oil extraction, and nitrous oxide 3. It is difficult to detect these fugitive emissions partially since many of them do not have a smell unless found in high concentrations, such as hydrogen sulfide which emits a scent of rotten eggs 2. Once captured and processed, many of these gases will begin to produce distinct smells. While in storage, some of the hydrocarbons, such as benzene, will begin to condensate and then transform into a liquid that has a petroleum scent once produced 2. At this level of 1.5 parts per million, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration considers it a dangerous level, at which a person should not be exposed to it at the levels of 1 ppm every eight hours. Since benzene is heavier then air as well, it will accumulate in low laying areas of land where it could gather into dangerous amounts if not able to dissapate.sp The open pits in which the waste chemicals are dumped from the mining process are pits where these heavy VOC’s could gather. The pits are reported to give off different odors depending on the variety of chemcicals spthat are contained within them 2. rewrite for clarity The diesel engines used in the machinery, as mentioned earlier, will produce a distinct smell of diesel fuel being used. Gases that are emitted from the use of diesel includes formaldehyde, metals, and ethylbenzene or BTEX which can have a sweet smell when released. Noise is another issue with traffic. Go to the noise section. 1. http://www.epa.gov/nonroad/nrstudy.pdf 2. http://www.earthworksaction.org/contaminantpathways.cfm 3. http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gp/bgp/2_6_Fugitive_Emissions_from_Oil_and_Natural_Gas.pdf 4. http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads10/US-GHG-Inventory-2010-Chapter-Energy.pdf Traffic The Delaware River is used for several forms of recreational activity. This includes tubing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and rafting. Other than recreational traffic, river traffic on the Upper Delaware River near the Port Jervis area is limited. The river may see an increase in pollutants from road run off and possible leaking and/or spilling of the fracking liquid, but in all likelihood not an amount large enough to impede recreational river traffic, but could deter tourists knowing there is a possibility of pollution in the river. The river can also have an increase of particulate matter flowing downstream because of dirt runoff from the construction of new roads and fracking sites. Awk also the pollution might affect aquatic life There will be an increase of traffic (specifically truck traffic) estimate number of trucks per frack and number of expected fracksin the areas of the fracking. Due to this increase in traffic transportation related emissions will increase. Diesel fuel emissions from trucks and machinery and dust from trucks driving over dirt roads will affect the air quality in the area. Road run off damage from increased use of salts and a greater chance of oil leakage will occur. The roads in the area that the fracking will occur may not suffice for fracking related traffic. Describe the roads that are there, their materials and load ratings and estimates for duration under heavy traffic conditions. They may need to be widened and strengthened to accommodate the increase in large truck and commuter traffic due to fracking.are there impacts associated with these mitigations? Truck traffic also creates dangerous traffic situations in small towns that surround the fracking area that are not used to dealing with large trucks in their neighborhoods. Also note width of road. Get accident reports. Talk to state and local police. Trucks will be needed to bring in water, construct new infrastructure, and remove waste materials. It is estimated that it will take 366 tanker trucks hauling fresh water and 183 tanker trucks hauling waste per frack. That’s a total of 549 tanker trucks per well, per frack. Roads in the area were not designed to cope with that type of rigorous usage. New roads that will need to be constructed to allow trucks and other traffic to reach the drill sites will cause environmental impacts. The roads will cut and divide the forest as well as bring more this pollution into the area in forms of road run off and vehicle emissions. These roads do not need to be paved but do need to be strong enough and wide enough to accommodate constant large truck traffic.  Health and Safety Jen Potential threats to human health could occur from the chemical compounds used in fracking. Air is the primary pathway of concern for fracturing chemicals. The Endocrine Disruption Exchange did a study on fracking chemicals and the material safety sheets that were distributed to workers. Their results found that: 96% of the MSDSs given out on fracking materials warned about eye and skin harm, 94% warn of respiratory harm, and 49% warn about brain/neurological harm. These warnings were based on possible inhalation and skin contact, ingestion and other contact could result in worse problems. Many of the chemicals used have the potential to cause/are proven to cause a myriad of health problems: cancer, cardiovascular and blood problems, gastrointestinal and liver problems, endocrine disruption, immunity problems, kidney problems, neurological disorders, reproductive disorders (along with mutagen and developmental problems for unborn children), respiratory problems, and sensory organ problems,. If drilling were to take place near water wells, groundwater contamination is a very real possibility. Chemicals may be injected into the ground that are anywhere from 4 to nearly 13,000 times the acceptable concentration in drinking water. This can be a problem well after fracking has taken place, between 20%-40% of fracturing fluids can remain in the ground after drilling, so it’s possible that contamination can happen years after operations have stopped. The gas being mined can also be a danger to health and safety. Methane is extremely flammable in its gaseous state. If gas from fracked wells were to leak into a house or building a single spark could cause a fire or trigger an explosion. If the gas isn’t stored or transported properly methane could easily leak out and cause problems. Certain areas in the Marcellus Shale may contain low levels of uranium, thorium, radium 226 and radium 228. Despite the estimated low radioactive content, the shale itself is considered highly radioactive. These can be brought to the surface by either the fluids used in the well, or it could be brought up by the gas itself. It is also possible that the natural gas could contain radon gas. It is believed that since the amount of radioactive materials is so low that they could only pose a problem if they were to become concentrated in some way.says whom? It is possible that the radioactive materials could become concentrated after coming into contact with the chemicals used in fracking. It’s also possible that the temperature and pressure changes that occur in fracking could lead to some concentration. You have to look deeper than this on the next round. Still to come: warning signs and public restrictions to mining site Toxics and Radioactivity Jeff In Pennsylvania the Department of Environmental Protection obtained a list of chemicals that are proposed to be used in the hydrofracking process. Fifty nine chemicals were listed and then further broken down into fifty four different chemicals because some were the same chemicals but had different names. This list of chemicals were given to The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX), a non for profit organization that reviews and interprets scientific research focused on the effects of synthetic chemicals on human and animal health, to analyze the potential health effects these chemicals may have. These chemicals were then researched and were broken down into 14 different health effect categories commonly used in government toxicological literature. source? describe what each table holds and give credit These chemicals are said by whomnot to be a potential threat because the process takes place well below the water table which provides drinking water for the communities. The fluid is injected deep underground into wells that are lined in order to prevent the hydrofracking fluid from contaminating the water supply.are you confusin g the waste storage in deep injection wells versus the fracking itself? The draw back is that in the past there has been leaks in the casings that are to prevent these chemicals from entering the water table. It is argued by whomthat these types of problems are most likely to occur in the future as well. In addition a large amount of the hydrofracking fluids come back out of the well after drilling takes place and end up contaminating ground water. These chemicals pose a threat to humans, animals and the environment until they are disposed of at a treatment facility.they may be a threat then too You can tie in the map showing the fracture zones in the shale In Dimock, Pennsylvania there has been several hydrofracking fluid spills that have occurred. The fluid that was used was described as potential carcinogen.by whom? What fluid is it? In this case the fluid seepawk into a local creek and the DEP reported fish kills. In addition fish in the same creek were swimming erratically. In the same area drinking water in several homes were sptested and found that the water contained metals and methane gas that state officials determined was sourced from wells that leaked underground. These chemicals pose a threat to humans, animals and the environment until they are disposed of at a treatment facility. The chemicals used in this specific drill site warned in the MSDS form that the substances have led to skin cancer in animals and "may cause headache, dizziness and other central nervous system effects" to anyone who breathes or swallows the fluids. Subsurface formations located in the Marcellus shale may contain low levels of radioactive materials such as uranium and thorium and their daughter products, radium 226 and radium 228. These radioactive materials can pose a threat to employees of the gas company and the general public . In 1999 the State of New York completed a study on Naturally occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) and concluded that the amounts these materials were found were insignificant and pose no health hazards to employees and the public. Weather or not this applies to the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania and Delaware is a completely different story. The NORM levels of these chemicals are still undetermined for the proposed location of the drilling. Radioactive material can also be found within glacially deposited granitic and metamorphic rocks. Other Devonian-age shales have enough radioactive material to have been considered as potential low-grade resources of uranium. Studies show that the Marcellus is considered to be a “highly radioactive” shale. sourceAccording to Terry Engelder, geosciences professor at Penn State University, the Marcellus shale is relatively more radioactive than other geological formations. In an article in the Times Tribune, Engelder is quoted as saying that he thinks the radioactivity is “in such low concentrations that it does not bother anyone. When talking about hydrofracking, radioactive materials known can be brought to the surface through oil or gas wells. This can happen in a number of ways, including: Note the EPA is sending us data on this 1. When fluids that are present in the radioactive formation are pumped out of the well. 2. The natural gas, itself, may contain radon gas, a radium daughter. According to the Railroad Commission of Texas, because the levels of radioactive substances are typically so low, the NORM in produced waters and natural gas is not a problem “unless it becomes concentrated in some manner.”1 There are a number of ways this concentration can occur: 3. Through temperature and pressure changes that occur in the course of oil and gas production operations; 4. Radium 226 and 228 in produced waters may react with barium sulfate to form a scale in well tubulars and surface equipment; 5. Radium 226 and 228 may occur in sludge that accumulates in pits and tanks; and 6. During gas processing activities, NORM can occur as radon gas in the natural gas stream. Radon decays to Lead-210, then to Bismuth-210, Polonium-210, and finally to stable Lead-206. Radon decay elements occur as a film on the inner surface of inlet lines, treating units, pumps, and valves principally associated with propylene, ethane, and propane processing streams. Because the radioactive materials become concentrated on oil and gas-field equipment, the highest risk of exposure to oil and gas NORM is to workers employed to cut and ream oilfield pipe, remove solids from tanks and pits, and refurbish gas processing equipment. Note there are federal regulations for radioactive materials Surface Water Matt? Baseline? Hydraulic fracturing uses vast quantities of water in the process. The water used is going to come from a variety of sources such as lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. Because the total quantity of water being extracted is so much, approval from the Delaware River Basin Commission is mandated. In case study #1, 0.7 million gallons of water per day are going to be extracted from the West Branch of the Lackawanna River. The intake proposed at the WBLR withdrawal site shall be constructed in accordance with a design approved by The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, The United States Army Core of Engineers and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that in the agencies’ view minimizes to the greatest extent possible, impingement and entrainment impacts in the vicinity of the withdrawal site. The volume of water withdrawn from the WBLR withdrawal site shall be metered and recorded by means of an automatic continuous recording device, or flow meter, and shall be measured to within 5% of actual flow.this is ground water or surface?? The amount of water withdrawn from the WBLR withdrawal site shall be automatically metered and recorded daily and shall be available for inspection. The proposed WBLR surface water withdrawal pump controls shall restrict the surface water withdrawal rate to an instantaneous flow not to exceed 1,040 gpm or a total of 0.7 million gallons (MG) during any day from the river whichever is less. A “day” is defined as the 24-hour period between 12:00 AM and 12:00 AM the following day. At any time during the day, when the total volume withdrawn from the WBLR reaches 0.7 MG, the pump shall automatically shut off, not permitting any additional withdrawals from the source until the start of the following day. A pump operator will be onsite to supervise and monitor all pumping operations. The withdrawal shall allow at all times of the year, a minimum flow of water in the WBLR to pass-by as measured below the intake at the WBLR withdrawal site. The WBLR withdrawal site shall be fitted by the docket holder with a gage or other instrumentation approved by the Executive Director and calibrated to the downstream Aldenville gage station flow data. For the period of record from 1987 to 2007, the average daily flow statistic calculated for the 40.6 square mile drainage area at the Aldenville gage is 84.1 cubic feet per second (cfs). The proportional average daily flow statistic for the 11.5 square mile drainage area at the Stone WBLR withdrawal site is 23.7 cfs. The pass-by flow, which is based on 25 percent of the average daily flow, shall be a minimum of 5.9 cfs as measured at the Stone WBLR gage. Daily withdrawal rates shall be reduced as appropriate to ensure that a minimum of 5.9 cfs passes by the Stone WBLR gage. Withdrawals shall cease entirely if the 24-hour average flow at the Stone WBLR gage, less the withdrawal, is 5.9 cfs or less. The pumps shall be shut off, not permitting any additional withdrawals from the WBLR until the 24-hour average flow at the Stone WBLR gage is at least 8 cfs. (2) The Process of extracting surface water has a very obvious consequence if not monitored correctly. If too much water is extracted the health of the river is in jeopardy. At the same time if extraction is occurring during times of flooding the water with drawls could slightly mitigate damages downstream. Due to intense monitoring and restricting intake so the surface water source is not depleted beyond reasonable levels is crucial. However, xhere is no reason to think that this extraction will be harmful to the environment, so what reasons are cited by the various groups?if executed in the manor stated above. Under the close supervision of the DRBC this process can be conducted successfully. This reads like permit language or some kind of official jargon. Relax style a little. During the Hydraulic Fracturing process there is ground water flow back from the drill hole. This amount of water is so minute that it will have no spaffect on base flow or the water levels of any surrounding lakes, rivers, or wetlands. During drilling, drilling fluids and cuttings are contained in a drill pit excavated and maintained in accordance with PA Chapter 78 Subchapter C. The water generated during drilling is removed from the drill pit and disposed of at an approved treatment facility. The drill cuttings are solidified and disposed of in the well drilling pit in accordance with the requirements of PA Chapter 78 Subchapter C. Some waste water is encouraged to be reused in the hydraulic fracturing process; this water will be stored in steel tanks. Unneeded water will be removed from the site via vacuum truck and be transported to a disposal facility (1). All chemicals, fuels, lubricants, etc. required for natural gas exploration and development at the site will be properly stored on the well pad in accordance with the Preparedness Prevention and Contingency Plan (PPC Plan) as required by 25 PA Code Chapters 91.34 and 78.55.(1) This prevents the contamination of the surrounding area. The biggest threat to the surrounding environment is contamination from spills or accidents. When a spill happens it is required by law to be immediately reported to the NJDEP so a case number can be issued to the spill site. It will then be cleaned up in accordance with state and federal law and be paid for by the responsible party or by their insurance company.source? Because spills and accidents are so harmful and curcial awkto prevent there are steps that the fracking companies can take to prevent them. One thing that helps prevent contamination and will in turn reduce insurance costs is that all workers have current OSHA certification. Proper training specializing in hydrolicsp fracturing and spill prevention would also help reduce the risk of spills. The other problem that arises is the cleanliness or sloppiness of the company performing the Hydraulic Fracturing. You get some people who know what they are doing everything has a better chance of going flawlessly. A sloppy company might not be able to contain their mess as well and it could pollute the site. The good thing is that these Hydraulic Fracturing projects are not overseen and managed by some distant and disconnected agency. All projects in the area are under super vision of the Delaware River Basin Commission, which sole mission is to ensure the health of the water shed. This gives the environment a huge advantage. The DRBC has the authority to grant permits and shut down operations. So if there is enough resources and people to frequent the hydraulic fracturing sites, upkeep of the sites will be possible. With the DRBC in full control of the operations there is no reason to say that hydraulic fracturing should not take place in this region from a surface water stand point. Is this your point of view or the applicants? DRBC is understaffed apparently and incapable of active monitoring. Case Study #1 Sources 1. Docket NO. D-2009-18-1 Delaware River Basin Commission Stone energy corp, Matoushek 1 well site Shale gas Exploration and development project Clinton township, wayne county, PA 2. DOCKET NO. D-2009-13-1 DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Special Protection Waters Stone Energy Corporation Surface Water Withdrawal for Natural Gas Exploration and Development Projects West Branch Lackawaxen River Withdrawal Site Mount Pleasant Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania Explain why these are here. Provide context and reason for their being here.Flora and Fauna Paul Alexx2 Section needs an intro What is baseline? Fauna in the area of primary impact will likely be subject to habitat fragmentation, water quality diminishment, and the high potential for exposure to toxic chemicals being used in the fracturing process. Storage and disposal of the slurry fluid as well as pipelines used to distribute gas and slurry are also potential sources of contamination. Aside from losses due to direct construction activities and potential pollution, changes in the ecosystem’s structure can create modified conditions unsuitable for species who were established in the area prior to development for drilling. Continual maintenance of well sites and pipe line corridors will provide further degradation of habitat for fauna species. Use of pesticides to suppress vegetation and other means of routine maintenance in these areas will provide persistent disturbances that may not allow the areas’ native species to re-establish themselves in their previous habitats. Destruction of metapopulation areas, especially for endemic species, could cause potential extirpation of species in the area. In English? These disturbances will force species to shift habitats to surrounding areas which may not necessarily fit their required environmental niche and will not be able to support their population. Endangered, threatened, and protected species must be given special attention, particularly in areas of high disturbance. Aside from primary impact areas such as well sites, pipelines and roads, biomagnifications of contaminants could have significant impacts on predator species such as the bald eagle, which has only recently begun to re-establish healthier population numbers. Heavy pesticide use around pipeline corridors could have direct affects on food chains as well as higher risks of contamination through runoff. By fragmenting habitat through construction of roads, drilling sites and pipelines, it will remove later stage forests and climax habitat conditions. This destruction of habitat will create pioneer habitat conditions, encouraging primary species establishment. With the continued maintenance on well sites and pipeline corridors, the areas will remain in a pioneer stage. The creation of such appropriate conditions creates the danger of introducing invasive pioneers which in many situations will out compete native species. Mitigation With fragmentation of habitat, invasive species will most likely be introduced because of the availability of newly disturbed ground; the perfect pioneer species habitat. The native species being expunged will potentially not be able to return due to competition from invasives. Mitigating the spread of invasives presents a particularly challenging obstacle because of the fact that suitable edge habitat is continually being created in the form of road and pipeline cuts and drilling sites. Traffic in and out of the areas can facilitate the spread of invasive plant seeds. Effectively reducing the risk of introducing invasives would require minimizing the extent to which the primary habitat is fragmented, a near impossible task given the network of roads and pipelines linking drilling sites. The most effective strategy would probably be limiting the number of access paths into and out of each proposed hydro-fracturing area. Late successional stage ecosystems and climax communities are likely the most vulnerable to impacts associated with fracturing infrastructure, most specifically mature and maturing forests. Once significantly disturbed, these areas can take decades to duplicate previous conditions and return to a state of maturity. Wetlands another ecosystem especially sensitive to disturbance by construction. Eroded runoff could fill in vernal pools, contaminating them with silt and reducing their capacity to support native aquatic vegetation, making them unsuitable for habitation by amphibians and aquatic insects. What ecosystems are there and how will they be affected? The construction associated with hydraulic fracturing has the potential to greatly diminish ecosystems, dividing them into small, isolated blocks incapable of meeting the needs of species. Erosion along numerous dirt roads, graded drilling sites, and pipelines has the potential to be a major source of ecosystem degradation, contributing to a significant decline in species diversity. Fish Like frogs and salamanders, fish are important indicator species in determining the health of an ecosystem because of their chemical fragility.  They absorb pollutants rapidly from their environment both from the water and their food.  For this reason fish are of special concern when considering the possible chemical effects of hydraulic fracturing. what species are there?Human Effects: The Delaware region is home to 61 Species of fish,10 of which are listed as threatened or endangered.  Native species used for recreational fishing consist of American shad (Alosa sapidissima), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus).  However, due to the fact that fish take in contaminants readily from water and food, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation area suggests that nursing mothers and young children consume no more than one meal or ½ pound of fish per month.  This warning is primarily in reference to contaminants such as mercury and PCBs.   Recreational fishing is a popular activity on the Delaware and is an important part of the areas draw.   For this reason the introduction of hydraulic fracturing threatens both the water, fish, and citizens with a gambit of carcinogenic and toxic chemicals.  Water contamination cases related to hydraulic fracturing have reported increased levels of methane gas, hydrocarbons, lead, copper, methanol, sodium hydroxide, and benzene.   Environmental A number of the fish species found in the Delaware Water Gap region are migratory in nature and should be espessially considered because of their wide habitat range. Four species exhibit anadromous lifestyles, meaning they begin their lives in fresh water and migrate to the ocean and back for foraging and breading. These species are  the park are striped bass, American shad, blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), and sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Also present are the American eel (Anguilla rostrata), which lives a catadromous life cycle.  Migrating from their ocean birthing grounds into fresh water for the middle part of their lives, they exhibit a similar but opposite lifestyle to the anadromous species.  Male migration in this species however is less prolific, they tend to inhabit lower freshwater habitats than the females, which complete a full migration.  For this reason it is suspected that all or most of the American eel population of the Delaware are female. Because of the migratory nature of these piscine species and their vulnerability in regards to absorbing chemicals, they have the potential to affect heavily ecosystems in both local and foreign locations.  Otters, raccoons, eagles, and a number of other species depend on fish as a primary food source.  As mentioned earlier humans as well partake in their consumption.  For this reason they are an especially grave consideration in the light of the possible negative effects of hydraulic fracturing in the area. Mammals The Delaware Water Gap region hosts a diversity of mammalian species which include among others: weasels, otters, rabbits, red and gray fox, beaver, coyotes, deer, muskrat, mink, flying squirrel, bats, and bobcat.  Of these species a small number are considered at risk or endangered for a number of reasons.  Flying squirrels (Glauconmys sabrinus), bats (various species), otters, and bobcat are all considered on this list.   A keystone species is defined as “a species that has a disproportionate effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Such species affect many other organisms in an ecosystem and help to determine the types and numbers of various others species in a community.”  The Delaware region has several.  Beaver impact the health of an ecosystem by decreasing the damage of floods, decreasing erosion, limiting the effects of droughts, maintaining drinking water aquifers, and removing pollutants from surface and ground water.  Their diet consists of soft riverside vegetation, which is highly absorptive and so they are easily susceptible to contamination.   Bobcats are the regions only true apex predator.  Apex predators are important not only in regulating the numbers of prey species such as deer and other grazers who without regulation can overpopulate and strip an ecosystem of vegetarian food sources.  This over grazing phenomenon can not only effect the food chain but also the physical geography of the region by causing increased riverside erosion.  Another important role of apex predators is controlling generalist species such as coyotes, foxes, minks, fishers, and other mammalian omnivores.  This is an important ecological role given that in the absence of apex predators, mesopredators (foxes, coyotes, etc) have the ability to overpopulate, over hunt, and degrade an ecosystem profoundly.  Examples of this can be found in the relationship between wolves and the ecosystem health of Yellowstone National Park (provide link). Also in the region are other species of note.  Flying squirrel which is listed as threatened due to habitat loss, they depend on hemlock trees which have been hit hard by parasites in the last decade.  Further habitat alteration could bare grave results for the species.  Bats in the region are reportedly suffering from a species of alien fungus which is causing deaths, as a result the Parks Department has banned access to all of the area’s caves in an attempt at staunching the spread of this poorly understood phenomenon.  Bats are vital to the region because of their powers of seed dispersal and insect control.   Mammal species are dependant on intact ecosystems.  Fragmentation of forest even to a minor degree can impact the behavior of both predator and prey species and thereby have profound effects.  And although mammals are far more resistant to chemical contamination than many other species, they still stand a high risk of contraction.  Herbivorous mammals depend on vegetation for sustenance and will come into contact with any chemicals released into the region’s water through consumption of food.  Naturally predators stand next in line to acquire any contaminants.  The cycle starts extremely low on the food chain.  Salamanders account for the highest physical mass of any predator in the Northeast, as well as playing an essential role in the processing of decaying biomass.  Recently This means that birds, snakes, rodents, frogs, foxes, and farther up the chain could be baseline is after impacts? NOTE: Appendix has been created with flora and fauna species lists and status (Attached on back). Appendix must be integrated into writing still. More research will be done on indicator, endemic, and endangered species, their habitat requirements, and severe ecosystem disturbances (size of landholdings affected and size of fragmented systems). Visual Impacts Carla The Downstream Analysis Need baseline first then impacts in paragraph form. All of these things need to be elaborated upon in sufficient depth. Will aesthetic assets such as the Delaware Water Gap be degraded? The on site construction and creation of natural gas wells is an unsightly process, particularly compared to the natural beauty in the area such as the Delaware Water Gap. Will a sense of wilderness or wild be lost? With the subsequent projects like pipeline extensions and transport of natural gas the sense of wilderness will be diminished. Will the knowledge of contamination diminish the attraction of the area? In cases where beautiful scenery is contaminated with pollutants or construction sites the attraction of the area will be diminished because Will river sediment cleanup be necessitated, as with PCBs on the Hudson River, creating a visual intrusion on the river? River clean up will be needed because chemicals used in fracking can easily contaminate and pollute the river. There have been many cases where the EPA has had to step in and take action because the chemicals contaminated the water body to such an elevated level. Hydrofracking also results in radioactive waste water that will need to be properly disposed of and kept far from the Hudson River to avoid contamination of the river. Will dumpsites be required that are visually unaesthetic? In past cases there have been many instances of illegal dumping into waterways and in the area surrounding the drilling sites which have been visually unaesthetic and deadly to migratory birds and many types of fish. Summary: The on site construction and creation of natural gas wells is an unsightly process, particularly compared to the natural beauty in the area such as the Delaware Water Gap. With the subsequent projects like pipeline extensions and transport of natural gas the sense of wilderness will be diminished. In cases where beautiful scenery is contaminated with pollutants or construction sites the attraction of the area will also be diminished. River clean up will be needed because chemicals used in fracking can easily contaminate and pollute the river. There have been many cases citewhere the EPA has had to step in and take action because the chemicals contaminated the water body to such an elevated level. Hydrofracking also results in radioactive waste water that will need to be properly disposed of and kept far from the Hudson River to avoid contamination of the river. In past cases there have been many instances of illegal dumping into waterways and in the area surrounding the drilling sites which have been visually unaesthetic and deadly to migratory birds and many types of fish. Generic Community Analysis Will the site be visible? Who will maintain its invisibility? CB Sites will be visible to people –land has to be cleared and soil disturbed in order to make the wells used in receiving the natural gas.  The Gateway (Port Jervis Area) Analysis Will there be visual impacts due to construction and fracking/extraction activities? Construction and fracking activities will increase traffic which will increase the amount of emissions in the area. This increase in emissions can affect the plant life therefore affecting the environment visually. Construction causes for land to be clearedawk and this causes a major differentiation in the natural look of the area. Distribution Analysis Will visual impacts occur due to pipeline extensions and transport of natural gas? With the subsequent projects like pipeline extensions and transport of natural gas the sense of wilderness will be diminished. Cultural Impacts Laura Baseline: Upper Delaware Scenic Area The Upper Delaware region has a rich history of tourism dating back to the 1870’s when the railroad system began bringing city dwellers to the country. Boarding houses, hotels, and resorts sprang up during this period. The Depression showed a decline in travelers but it has been replaced by campers, hikers, anglers, hunters, and canoeists. Today, almost 500,000 people visit the Upper Delaware Valley each year. Baseline: What cultural resources exist in the target areas (Port Jervis) including arts, railroad, recreational activities, and scenic beauty? The City of Port Jervis is located on the Upper Delaware where New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania convene. Port Jervis is also know as the “River City” and the “Gateway to the Upper Delaware River”. It has served as a center for transportation for hundreds of years, first as a stop on Old Mine Road, the first 100 mile road in the United States, later as a port on the Delaware and Hudson canal, and finally as a division center for the New York and Lake Erie Railroad. There is one rail station called Port Jervis Metro North. It is the most western terminal in the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) rail system and terminates in New York City’s Penn Station. One of the city’s most famous landmarks is the Tri-States Rock where a person can stand on three states at one time. The rock is located just under the Interstate Route 84 bridge. Many of the tourist attractions in Port Jervis are parks and recreational activities. Elks-Brox Memorial Park, which was established in 1914, hosts magnificent views of the Neversink Valley and the Delaware River, has hiking trails, picnic and barbecue areas, and scenic views of the city, Appalachian Plateau, High Point Monument, New Jersey and Matamoras, and the Pennsylvania bridge. Other parks include Veteran’s Memorial Park, Barclay Street Park, Chris Marion Park, Church Street Park, Farnum Park, John Glen Park, Millennium Park, Mother’s Park, Riverside Park, Skinner’s Park, West End Beach and Park, and West End Memorial Park. They offer different amenities such as playgrounds, roller hockey rinks, skateboard park, basketball courts, ball fields, bandstand and bleachers, gazebo, picnic areas, bicycling and walking trails, tennis courts, and scenic overlooks of the Delaware River. Port Jervis holds a number of community events which help build community character and strengthens the culture. In December they hold a Peal Harbor Memorial Service, a tree lighting ceremony which includes holiday music performed by Broome Street Band and Tri-State’s Woman’s Chorus, and Tri-State Chamber of Commerce holiday parade. In May, Port Jervis hosts the 5K Delaware River Run. In June they host an annual Soap Box Derby dating back to 1947 and is the second largest soap box derby in the World. They celebrate Flag Day with music, poems, speeches, and a lesson of proper flag etiquette. Since 2001, the Minisink Valley Historical Society has reenacted an annual reading of the Declaration of Independence in its entirety on the 4th of July and gather in attire from the late 1700’s. In July there is also an Arts Walk sponsored by the Port Jervis Council for the Arts and the City of Port Jervis. The Arts Walk presents artistic talents from the tri-state area. Artist renderings are displayed in the downtown business district for purchase and vendors and antique shops are open for this daylong event. Late summer is perfect for outdoor concerts in the newly constructed bandstand and pavilion in Riverside Park. Local bands and entertainment share their talent with the public in early evening concerts. Port Jervis is home to a number of highly active clubs and organizations. Many participate in a number of events and offer college scholarships to graduating high school students. Following is just a sample of what is available: AARP, Access 23, Artful Gardeners Club, Business and Professional Women’s Club, Catholic Daughters of America, Free and Accepted Masons, Port Jervis Lodge No. 328, Kiwanis Club of Port Jervis, Knights of Columbus, Lions Club, Little League, Minisink Valley Historical Society, Parent/Teacher/Student Association, Pop Warner Football League, Port Jervis Council for the Arts, Port Jervis Fire Department, Port Jervis Rotary Club, Port Jervis Tourism Board, Salvation Army, Senior Advisory Board, Senior Club, The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks No. 645, Tri-State Chamber of Commerce, Tri-State Naval Ship, and VFW Post No. 161. good baseline start Impacts: Will cultural resources be adversely impacted? The city of Port Jervis is prone to flooding and has survived and rebuilt after great disasters, the most recent being in June of 2006 when the Delaware River flooded. Extremely heavy rainfall over a four day period caused flash flooding of the Delaware River and completely devastated the surrounding towns. The hydraulic fracturing process uses a huge amount of water and can disrupt the flow to and from the Delaware River. Many of the scenic parks and recreation areas are on high ground to overlook the river and may not be impacted by a small flood but anything lower or close to the river may be washed out. How will fracking affect flooding? Impacts: Will restaurants and local businesses that depend on tourism related to cultural resources be adversely impacted? Twelve New York counties were declared Federal disaster areas, more than 15,500 residents applied for disaster assistance, and millions of dollars in damages resulted from the flooding. Disaster-recovery assistance for individuals and businesses adversely affected by the floods of June 2006 reached more than $227 million. If another flood of this nature were to happen again Port Jervis would suffer tremendously. Impacts: Will local communities in the Area of Potential Primary Impact be affected? Local communities in the Area of Potential Primary Impact will be affected by contamination to drinking water, air and noise pollution, and the potential for flooding. Some of the injected fluids in the hydraulic fracturing process remain trapped underground.  A number of these fluids qualify as hazardous materials and carcinogens, and are toxic enough to contaminate groundwater resources.  The City of Port Jervis obtains its water supply from three interconnected reservoirs within the 3,000 acre watershed. There is a forth reservoir used in emergency situations when supplies are low. There are cases in the United States where hydraulic fracturing is the suspected source of impaired or polluted drinking water.  In Alabama, Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming, incidents have been recorded by people who have gas wells near their homes.  They have reported changes in water quality or quantity following fracturing operations. Most of these incidences involve coal-bed methane production, which is a much shallower drilling process, but it highlights how poorly the gas companies are protecting the communities they are working in. Drilling for gas is a highly industrial undertaking which includes numerous truckloads of equipment, chemicals, sand and water along with generators, pumps, drilling rigs and hoists.  All of which are running at all hours of the day producing noise and exhaust fumes.  When gas is found, there can be a release of the various gases in the formation. confusing Impacts: Will there be increased demand for community services such as police, medical, fire, and schools? Community services such as police, medical, fire, and schools should remain the same in the City of Port Jervis. The construction should not effect the number of residents living in Port Jervis. Economic Em, Arielle Introduction Hydraulic fracturing of horizontal shale is becoming increasingly cost effective throughout the United States due to a variety of economic incentives . Fracking service companies have observed that "the exploitation of shale reservoirs is the fastest-growing segment" of the land-based natural gas market. Practices like fracking are able to tap profitable resources from already existing mining or drilling sites, as well as from underground formations that cannot be tapped with more traditional drilling methods, due to the forecasted high and increasing demands for natural gas both internationally and domestically. Natural gas production using traditional or conventional methods in the United States has already peaked, but rising energy prices continue to drive production and the implementation of this new technology. The National Petroleum Council "estimates that sixty to eighty percent of all wells drilled in the next decade to meet natural gas demand will require fracturing." On a countrywide basis, it is believed that drillers could produce more than 842 trillion cubic feet of currently untapped natural gas from shales. The Marcellus shale is the largest known shale deposit in the world and lies under much of the Appalachian basin from upstate New York, as far south as Virginia, and as far west as Ohio. The entire Marcellus shale contains by conservative estimate 168 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas in place, and by a more optimistic estimate it could contain 516 TCF. Although only 10% of the calculated gas reserve is generally deemed recoverable, the Marcellus shale has a potential resource of 16.8 TCF, and on the high side 50 TCF. The Marcellus Shale also has competitive advantages over other natural gas deposits as well due to it’s proximity to large regional natural gas markets. In Pennsylvania and its five bordering states, current natural gas consumption is 9.2 BCF per day, and as well as a 9 BCF coal-fired electricity usage that has the potential to be fulfilled by natural gas. These factors make it an extremely valuable industry, and a possible economic resource for the states that utilize it. To intro Generic Community Impacts Communities throughout New York State will likely see a wide variety of economic impacts if hydraulic fracturing permits are approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Several models of existing ‘fracking’ industry can be used to gain insight into the possible positive and negative economic impacts of the industry in New York State. Baseline??? Hydraulic Fracture in the Marcellus Shale of Pennsylvania Natural gas extraction utilizing hydraulic fracturing has already begun in areas of the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. The shale formation overlaps the borders of New York State and Pennsylvania in such a manner that Pennsylvania makes an excellent model for consideration of the techniques adoption in New York State. The isobars in the adjacent diagram indicate the thickest gas bearing layers within the shale, and the thickest areas are directly on the border of the two states, showing that they will experience similar trends in output and economically. Based upon the extensive spending on lease and bonus payments since 2005, there is demonstrated commercial interest in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, where the first well went into production in 2005. This heightened commercial interest is now seeking New York State leases and permits. Expenditures during the entire process of the production of natural gas generate indirect economic impacts as the initial stimulus spent and so, redistributed into other business sectors of the economy. For example, the development of leases creates an influx of revenue at a community level that are cycled into businesses. The wages earned increase household incomes, which then stimulates further spending on local goods and services. The impacts associated with household spending are called induced impacts. The total economic impacts are the sum of the direct, indirect, and induced spending, set off from the expenditures by natural gas production. A recent survey by the Marcellus Shale Committee (2009) indicated that the Marcellus producers in Pennsylvania spent $4.7 billion from the beginning of the industry in 2005 through the end of the first quarter of 2009 with $2.5 billion on lease and bonus and other land payments and the remaining $2.2 billion on equipment and supplies. A study done by Pennsylvania State University thus finds that the Marcellus gas industry in Pennsylvania generated $2.3 billion in total value added, more than 29,000 jobs, and $240 million in state and local taxes during 2008. With a substantially higher pace of development during 2009, economic output will top $3.8 billion, state and local tax revenues will be more than $400 million, and total job creation will exceed 48,000. Based on analysis of both input and output of the Marcellus Shale industry, every $1 that the Marcellus industry spends in the state, $1.94 of total economic output is generated. This is far higher than multipliers generally found in oil and gas mining industries, probably due to the fact that the method and industry is so new and has not experienced any decline in well productivity as of yet. Barnett Shale, Texas When all major categories of stimulus from Barnett Shale activity are summed, the result includes $5.2 billion in annual output and some 55,385 permanent jobs. Such impacts are notable, even in this region’s large and diverse economy. The overall effects of Barnett Shale activity are expected to account for an average of more than 108,000 jobs and $10.4 billion in output per year through 2015. For Tarrant County, oil and natural gas property values escalated from $1.2 million in 2000 to $741.8 million in 2005. This resulted in a substantial increase in property tax revenue. One particular city plans to use money generated from the Barnett Shale for general operations as well as Indicate that texas site is helpful in predicting impacts hereimprovements to the arts, parks, and other amenities – making the city more appealing to its businesses and residents. Employment The natural gas mining industry has the potential to create direct and indirect employment growth, both within the industry and due to the added economic stimulus to local communities. The industry directly created more than 14,000 jobs in Pennsylvania since its inception, through purchasing of goods and services, royalties to landowners, and tax payments. Indirect and induced economic impacts brought the job total to 29, 284 jobs, mainly in transportation and warehousing, construction, health and social services, but also spread across a diverse variety of other jobs like retail, real estate, and insurance. There are many caveats to this employment growth, however. An analysis done by the Marcellus Shale Education and Training Committee indicates that the direct workforce needed to drill a single well in the Marcellus Shale region is comprised of over 410 individuals working within nearly 150 different occupations. The total hours worked by these individuals are the equivalent of 11.53 full time, direct jobs over the course of a year, but the vast majority of these drilling phase jobs do not compound each year. This means the workforce is dependent on the amount of wells drilled each year, which is in turn dependent on both instable market values and the continued availability of the resource. These jobs are also almost entirely only required when wells are being drilled, and the location of these wells can change over time. This means that workforce needs, along with workers residencies, are extremely hard to predict on a local basis. In comparison, only 0.17 long term, full time, or ‘permanent’ jobs are associated with the production phase of each well. Even though the percentage is small, the jobs do compound as more wells are drilled, but the impact takes longer to experience and is far more cumulative. More, more Property Values and Real Estate Texas Barnett enhanced real estate development Community Level Economic Impacts CASE STUDY http://www.northerntier.org/upload/JointUrbanStudiesSocImpactMay2008.pdf Page 21 has a county case study, also http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091018/NEWS/910180327 article about proposed ny drilling in Sullivan county based on Susquehanna neighbors experience Leasing Opportunities and Their Secondary Impacts The opportunity for individuals in the private sector as well as state and public lands to be able to lease mining rights and receive payment and revenue is one of the most economically attractive aspects of the proposed hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale. It creates a large amount of added revenue that is fed directly into local economies, and can be extremely beneficial to low-income communities and landowners. Previous experience, however, has shown that residents in areas newly opened to mining and leasing can be unfairly taken advantage of by more sophisticated oil and gas companies. In the Barnett Shale of Texas, the boom that occurred as hydraulic fracturing began led to a complete lack of individual knowledge and education, and an inequality of bargaining between resident and ‘landmen’. It took several years for local officials to become aware of the citizens lack of education, particularly because many officials and even law advisors themselves were not yet familiar with the regulations involving oil and gas leasing. In these early stages of the Barnett Shale boom, most leases offered to Tarrant County residents included signing bonuses between $ 300 and $ 400 per residential lot and royalty terms between 12.5% and 18.5%. The leases were also unlikely to contain lease provisions favorable to residents. Lease terms providing for restrictions on surface-right access, road access restrictions, noise-and-pollution restrictions, and lease terms prohibiting drilling operations during certain times of day were uncommon, probably left out early signers did not know they could negotiate or ask for such terms. To contrast, in early 2008, lease offers to residents were reaching as high as $18,250 per acre with 27.5% royalties. Residents are also now educated and able to negotiate the terms of their contracts to require certain restrictions, as well as getting fair market cost. It is quite plain to see that a transparent system of leasing with strong education and support is entirely necessary and recommended to ensure that lease owners receive fair compensation. In addition, lack of fair compensation decreases the indirect benefits of natural gas extraction to the local economies, which would continue the unfair balance. Negative Economic Impacts and Hidden Costs --- Wyoming natural gas, didn’t have infrastructure to house non resident workers- living in hotels, camps. --------costs of environmental damages are somewhat likely, especially as this technology’s implementation is so new. Instances documented already include: Dimock PA fracking fluid spill and improper cleanup. Fines up to $130,000. According to a DEP press release and the notice letter sent to Cabot, a nearby wetland has been flushed and further remediation may be required, including excavation of soil surrounding the site. http://www.propublica.org/feature/dep-issues-citation-to-pennsylvania-driller-as-a-third-spill-occurs-923 cost of wastewater treatment, transportation, burden on local community danger of methane in water wells and destruction of private property values Boom and Bust Cycles It’s important to recognize that because natural gas is a nonrenewable resource, any economic benefits will eventually end. Management of revenue is essential to prevent this cycle from occurring, by making investments in long term infrastructure that will benefit the community. Need a timeframe for natural gas supply. Need some mention or estimation of cost of environmental cleanups- even just a few examples. Barnett Shale- two additional refrackings become possible at the 5 and 10 year intervals but that’s it. Closing Caveat- no community has seen hydraulic fracturing through to it’s end, or even very far down its proposed timespan so it is somewhat impossible to tell how it will conclude. Important to consider other industries, and take note of precautionary principle. Gateway Port Jervis Impacts Section to be comprised of more specific applications of above information integrated with proposed field trip and on site studies and interviews. Economic Impacts Boom and Bust Cycles Secondary Costs Downstream Impacts The proposed horizontal natural gas mining to date are located in Chemung, Chenango, Delaware and Tioga Counties, but the Department of Environmental Conservation expects to receive applications to drill in other areas of New York State, including counties where natural gas production has not previously occurred, along with potential development of not just the Marcellus Shale, but also the Utica Shale. While these regions make up the area of Primary Potential Impact, the middle region of the Delaware river above the Delaware Water Gap has been identified as an area of Potential Downstream Impact, due to the hydraulic flow of the area and the possibility of both high water use and water contamination inherent in the process of hydraulic fracturing, which utilizes various materials to extract gas in a solution of known and unknown hazardous chemicals as well as materials like sand. Primary drilling will be occurring in the headwaters and watershed of the Delaware River, and in accordance analysis is needed of the potential economic impacts in the downstream area due to water use and contamination of the area. The central region of the Delaware River from below Port Jervis to Trenton is particularly vulnerable to environmental damages from fracking because it is the last stretch of freshwater before the tidal areas, and so serves as a conduit for any impacts flowing downstream from the watersheds. Economic Value of the Delaware River Basin The Delaware River is governed by the Delaware River Basin Commission, to protect the area’s drinking water supply, its continued use for industry and transportation, its setting as a natural habitat, and its overall impact on the quality of life for people in the area. The Delaware River is an extremely valuable water resource that not only serves bordering states and counties but also exports water to cities in New Jersey and New York. Nearly 15 million people rely on water from the Delaware basin for their daily water needs. On average over 8.7 billion gallons of Delaware basin water are put to use each day in various ways, mainly for hydroelectric and thermoelectric power generation. Besides these easily quantifiable values, it is important to note recent studies into the concept of natural capital, or assessing the true economic values of ecosystem goods and services. Ecosystem goods include farm products, fiber and food, commercial fish, raw water, timber, etcetera, and ecosystem services include processes that promote climate regulation, water quality and filtration, soil creation, habitat, and flood mitigation. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection recently issued a study attempting to quantify this natural capital within their state, and noted that merely on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River Basin, the value of the forest land is estimated at $258 billion in ecosystem goods and services. This is also a very conservative estimate because it does not include an economic valuation of several services that forests provide, including long-term carbon storage, dampening of stormwater runoff and peak stream flows, and the removal of pollutants. Including these services could conservatively add an additional $36.9 billion to the value of the basin’s forest land. Distribution Analysis While considerable attention is needed to discover the impacts of permitting proposed fracking in the Marcellus Shale of New York, subsidiary and secondary industries also are tacitly accepted if this happens. Several subsidiary industries would also develop, including the creation of a network of thousands of miles of gathering lines and pipelines to carry this gas to consumers. Natural gas in the Marcellus Shale also needs to be processed from ‘wet’ to ‘dry’ natural gas before it can be sold as methane, and this processing leads to many byproducts, some of which are also valuable, like propane, ethane, and butane. While these by-products of dry gas production can be quite valuable, building a processing facility takes considerable time and incurs significant costs. In addition, large volume production of these natural gas liquids, which is likely, would require separate pipelines, rail facilities, or truck terminal facilities. Developing these transportation and processing networks takes time, in some cases, years. This section is coming along well Psycho-social yesenia Generic Baseline This is not a baseline for psychosocial impacts The Marcellus shale is an ancient rock formation about 5,000 to 8,000 feet below ground surface who has been mined for natural gas in the regions of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York for years. Oil and gas companies are now proposing to continue to mine the northern part of the shale in the areas of New York and Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the nation’s consumption of natural gas is expected to increase by 2.2% yearly; the United States is known to be the second largest consumer of natural gas in the world. Over twenty-three million cubic feet of natural gas were consumed by the U.S. in the year 2008 according to the Energy Information Association. Marcellus shale is estimated to hold about 168 to 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, about 10-20% of this amount lies within the state of New York alone. These numbers attract various gas and oil companies into making proposals that may produce adverse environmental impacts on the local watersheds and aquifers, national parks and preserved lands in the area, agricultural and rural lands, as well as the communities directly near the well pads or downstream from any river bodies. Good intro would be good for intro Downstream Impacts Downstream communities, particularly in the state of New Jersey, are concerned with the quality of their water once these mining projects begin. The watersheds that are of concern are the Susquehanna which feeds most of Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay watershed which through its 10,000 streams and rivers provides water for 16.6 million people in six states. A third major water body that may be impacted is the Delaware River basin; the river may be a downstream transporter of contaminants produced by the proposed mining. Along with being a major river, the Delaware basin is home to one of the largest national parks in the area, a major tourism attraction and home to a number of wildlife. The basin is undergoing treatment and intensive studies are being done in order to remediate any toxicity found to affect the health of the fish and ecological communities. These toxic issues are mostly related to the high population in the area as well as the urban, industrial, and agricultural activities nearby . Natural gas drilling is expected to add to this toxicity and increase the negative effects on the flora, fauna, and water issues in the area. The current river conditions, its water levels, and the contaminants already existing in the river are currently being analyzed. Along with the Delaware National Park, there exist approximately 33 regions recognized by the National Park System that lie within or nearby the Marcellus Shale formation. The Catskills is one of these areas that may be adversely affected and in turn produce harmful impacts to its neighboring natural areas like the Catskill Park, the Shawangunk Ridge, the Hudson Highlands, and the Poconos, for it acts as a nature corridor between them. Possible fragmentation may occur due to the drilling of pads resulting in an increase of heavy truck traffic and the construction of pipelines that may affect the multiple species and the ecology in the area. The pristine, scenic atmosphere of nature preserved lands identified by the National Park Service may be affected by the possible noise, contamination, disturbance, increased traffic, and visual impacts caused by fracking. Along with the impacts on the ecology of these areas, its tourism may be affected due to tourists being discouraged to visit due to the potential changes that may occur; in New York only, tourists spent over 53 billion dollars. Effects on tourism are still being studied and will soon be developed. Community Analysis Natural gas projects have been known to heavily impact the communities they exist within as well as those nearby. Gas leasing is most prominent in rural and agricultural lands lying within Pennsylvania and New York states; within these lands, there could exist well pads with spacing from 160-320 acres to a mere 40-80 acres. Agricultural lands that have been exposed to natural gas mining have shown adverse health impacts in the livestock from gas drilling at about 850 feet away. A particular case is occurring in Rifle, Colorado, where veterinarian Elizabeth Chandler, has noticed an increase of reproductive changes, abnormal births, reduced male fertility, still births, smaller litters, and false pregnancies among farm animals living near wells. These impacts have been most prevalent among goats, pigs, cattle, dogs, and cats living in farms nearby mine wells in the area. These health issues have caused farmers to be economic loss in sales of about $50,000. In addition to rural communities being impacts, suburban areas may be also impacted by possible natural gas mining in local properties. Towns that are known to have rural character will become polluted with noise and air pollution from truckloads of equipment, chemical use, pumps, and drilling rigs. These operations will be running at all hours of the day, seven days a week, producing constant noise as well as an increase in the release of fumes and dirt particles into the air. Even if residents do not lease their land, the well pads on a neighbor’s property will raise concerns and worries to most residents of an affected community. Wells located near schools have caused health issues among students and residents nearby. In New Mexico, McCoy Elementary School is about 400 feet away from a well pad, and its playground only 150 feet away. Strong fumes have been detected on school property. Similar cases are abundant, Dee Hoffmeister of Silt, Colorado lives at an estimated 800 feet from a well pad of four wells and two condensate tanks. She has noticed a cloud of gas surrounding her home when returning from a vacation which caused her to be affected with weakness, dizziness, nausea, breathing difficulties, and skin irritations. Due to its proximity, air testing concluded that the area showed elevated levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. Possible impacts that may change the character and livelihood of these areas and their residents may also result in loss of land value, surface disturbance, and destruction. Families may worry about the health of their families resulting in additional health costs, harm to a child’s education due to medical reasons, as well as possible pollution of their land and water due to fracking. If such occurs, residents will have to either push for companies to respond or invest in purification systems for their water or indoor air quality to prevent hazardous contaminants from entering the body. Noise, Light, Odor, and Vibrations (KLukshis) The primary section in charge of noise pollution for the EPA was the Office of Noise Abatement and Control. Through this office, the EPA created the Noise Control Act of 1972. As summarized under Laws & Regulations: 42 U.S.C. §4901 et seq. (1972) Inadequately controlled noise presents a growing danger to the health and welfare of the Nation’s population, particularly in urban areas.  The major sources of noise include transportation vehicles and equipment, machinery, appliances, and other products in commerce.  The Noise Control Act of 1972 establishes a national policy to promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that jeopardizes their health and welfare.  The Act also serves to (1) establish a means for effective coordination of Federal research and activities in noise control; (2) authorize the establishment of Federal noise emission standards for products distributed in commerce; and (3) provide information to the public respecting the noise emission and noise reduction characteristics of such products.   While primary responsibility for control of noise rests with State and local governments, Federal action is essential to deal with major noise sources in commerce, control of which require national uniformity of treatment.  EPA is directed by Congress to coordinate the programs of all Federal agencies relating to noise research and noise control. In 1981 this program was abandoned at the Federal level, and the EPA determined that issues of noise control were best to be handled at a state or local level. The Noise Control Act of 1972 and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978 were not rescinded once the office was closed and still remain in effect today. The Quiet Communities Act of 1978 expanded the EPA’s mission to control noise pollution, in addition to undertake research and public information initiatives. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has a program policy that assesses and mitigates noise impacts, while complying with SEQR and specific Department program regulations throughout the process. The policy identifies when certain noise levels may cause significant environmental impacts and provides methods for noise impact assessment, avoidance and reduction. The potential for adverse impacts are explained as such: Numerous environmental factors determine the level or perceptibility of sound at a given point of reception. These factors include: distance from the source of sound to receptor; surrounding terrain; ambient sound level; time of day; wind direction; temperature gradient; and relative humidity. The characteristics of a sound are also important determining factors for considering it as noise. The amplitude (loudness), frequency (pitch), impulse patterns and duration of sound all affect the potential for a sound to be a noise. The combination of sound characteristics, environmental factors and the physical and mental sensitivity of a receptor to a sound determine whether or not a sound will be perceived as a noise. This guidance uses these factors in assessing the presence of noise and the significance of its impacts. It relies upon qualitative and quantitative sound evaluation techniques and sound pressure level impact modeling presented in accepted references on the subject3. When reviewing an application for a permit, the DEC must evaluate any potential adverse impacts of sound generated and emanating to receptors outside of the facility or property. When an evaluation indicates that receptors may experience sound levels that create significant noise impacts, the Department is to require the applicant to make use of other means to either eliminate or mitigate adverse noise effects3. There are situations in which no noise evaluation is necessary and can only occur when certain criteria. If the site is within a private area with its own local zoning, it is permitted a “right of use” by the local government and therefore no analysis can be performed. Analysis may also be eliminated it the applicant’s operational plan includes the best and appropriate mitigation practices for all facets of the operation3. There are three levels of evaluation to be followed during the procedure of noise assessment: The first level determines the potential for adverse noise impacts based on noise characteristics and sound pressure increases solely on noise attenuation over distance between the source and receptor of the noise. The second level factors other considerations such as topography and noise abatement measures in determining if adverse noise impacts will occur. The third level evaluates noise abatement alternatives and their effectiveness in avoiding or reducing noise impacts3. Once all stages of evaluation have been completed, Ultimately, the final decision must incorporate appropriate measures to minimize or avoid significant noise impacts, as required under SEQR. Any unavoidable adverse effects must be weighed along with other social and economic considerations in deciding whether to approve or deny a permit3. As for the city of Port Jervis, NY, legislative intent on noise is as follows: The making and creating of disturbing, excessive or offensive noises within the jurisdictional limits of the City is a condition which has persisted, and the level and frequency of occurrences of such noises continue to increase. These noise levels are a detriment to the public health, comfort, convenience, safety and welfare of the citizens. Every person is entitled to an environment in which disturbing, excessive or offensive noise is not detrimental to his or her life, health or enjoyment of property. The city has limitations as to when excessive or disruptive noise may or may not be permitted, and sets zoning laws such as in relation to a school, churches or hospitals. There are exceptions to the city’s laws such as noise from municipally sponsored events, individually sponsored events that have obtained the required permit for permission from the city, noise expelled from churches, synagogues, or schools licensed by the State of New York within a certain time limit, and noise generated by the installation and maintenance of utilities4. Noise will occur as a result of the process of hydraulic fracturing, as with any construction site. Noise from development comes from many sources, such as truck traffic, drilling and completion activities, well pumps and compressors. Noises can be expected to occur during initial preparations of the site such as access road building as well as contributions from bulldozers and other construction equipment. After the site is completed, drilling sequences of wells may begin. According to the dSGEIS on hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale from the DEC, Drilling operations are the noisiest phase of development and usually continue 24 hours a day. Noise sources during the drilling phase include various drilling rig operations, pipe handling, compressors, and operations of trucks, backhoes, tractors and cement mixing6. After drilling is completed, noise is then produced by the extraction of natural gas from the shale. A study completed in La Plata County, Colorado by the Bureau of Land Management reported typical noise levels from construction equipment and oil and gas activity: 5 Fracking noise will be subject to regulation on federal, state, and local levels. The biggest worry and complaint human receptors have is to the noise produced from fracking. The noise produced by all processes of hydraulic fracturing is first interpreted by those that have to live with it. For people that are used to a quiet, rural area, the introduction of heavy industrial noise can greatly disturb the natural environmental soundscape they are accustomed to5. More to add about people who have experienced living with noises of fracking Light from construction areas may become a nuisance to outside receptors, especially if any work is completed at night. More to research about light Odor impacts may arise as gas production begins and is being released into the atmosphere. An increase in traffic of the area will also create unwanted odors. More to research about odor Tourists are subject to noise, odor or vibration impacts just as easily as residents of the area are. If the intensity of impacts is affected by temperature, wind, temperature or other factors, tourism may be affected throughout the duration of the project. More to research about tourism affects along the Delaware There have been no studies or reports found that conclude to hearing damage as a result of noises from hydraulic fracturing. More to research about health effects of noise exposure Since traffic of the project site is already a contributing factor to noise pollution, increased traffic of not just the project area but the surrounding towns and natural areas will further affect and even increase ongoing noise levels. More to research about traffic and its affect on noise levels More to research about vibrations More to research about Port Jervis and how it will be affected, if at all Katie---off to a good start\ Auriele Leva’s section---no header When looking at the proposed hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus shale the demographic characteristics of Port Jervis, New York, Matamoras, Pennsylvania, and Montague, New Jersey need to be assessed; these towns make up an interlinked, metropolitan area. Port Jervis, New York is a blue collar, working class town. The majority of the town is white with only 10.2% making up the minority population. 17.5% of Port Jervis is below the poverty line. Matamoras is also a working class town, that is 96.5% white. Matamoras does have a very small percentage of people below the poverty line in comparison to Port Jervis and the national average. As with Port Jervis and Matamoras, Montague New Jersey is also a working class town. 95.3% of the community is white, and 12% of the population is below the poverty line. The process of hydraulic fracturing can have many serious impacts on the environment. During the drilling process spills can occur as well as leaks from the drilling reserve and waste pits. Fracking poses many threats to groundwater and drinking water. There are many ways contamination of water can occur due to fracking and fracking fluids. These possibilities include drilling and injecting fracking fluids into rock formations that serve as freshwater aquifers, the migration of fracking chemicals as liquids or gases into groundwater aquifers, the changing of the underground geology in a way that allows for new pathways to be created and for hydrocarbons like methane to travel, and the spilling of fracking fluids onto the ground or into waterways. A large portion of the chemicals injected during drilling, fracking, or well maintenance come back to the surface and are stored in holding tanks or waste pits. If the pits are not lined or they are not lined properly, waste can seep into the soil and groundwater. Many of the fluids that are used in fracking contain chemicals that are extremely harmful to humans and to wildlife. Many of the chemicals are toxic and cancer causing like diesel fuel, benzene, methanol, and formaldehyde. “Calculations performed by EPA show that at least nine hydraulic fracturing chemicals may be injected into or close to USDWs at concentrations that pose a threat to human health. These chemicals may be injected at concentrations that are anywhere from 4 to almost 13,000 times the acceptable concentration in drinking water” (Earthworks). It is very possible that these extremely harmful effects of hydraulic fracturing will be disproportionately born on minority populations or based on race, income, religion, etc. In most cases, disenfranchised and marginalized people bear the burden of environmental, social, and economic impacts. The situation may not be forced upon them, but when the negative impacts accumulate, very little is mitigated because of the powerlessness that afflicts the disenfranchised or marginalized. Looking at the case of the lead mining that occurred at Tar Creek in Oklahoma where mining destroyed and contaminated the land and water of the Native American Quapaw people and how they encountered many obstacles in getting diagnoses, treatment, and compensation, it is obvious that their demographic influenced their situation. There have been many hydraulic fracturing situations in which people have become environmental victims. Most of the cases occur from well contamination due to fracking. In the case of the Mangan’s in Granger Township, Ohio, the Mahoning county company was drilling a gas well near their home in 2008 which caused their water well to go temporarily dry and then return at a very low pressure days later murky, bubbly, salty, and smelly. In Garfield County, Colorado the Amos’s, who didn’t own the mineral rights under their property, were approached by Encana and told that if they didn’t sign the Surface Use Agreement they would get no financial reimbursement for any damages that occurred because the drilling was going to take place anyway. While fracking was occurring on their neighbor’s property the Amos’s water well blew up because a hydrogeological connection was opened between their well and the gas well. This caused their water to change color, smell terribly, and bubble. Their water was tested and showed high levels of methane but the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) claimed that the methane was "transient" in nature. Two years later Laura Amos became very sick and was diagnosed with a rare condition of a tumor in her adrenal gland, which she later found was most likely caused by a chemical, 2BE, which is used in fracking fluids. These are only two cases of many that illustrate some of the harmful and negative effects of fracking that create environmental victims. http://www.earthworksaction.org/FracingDetails.cfm#CONTAMINATION http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/uic/wells_hydrofrac.html http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/ogdsgeischap4.pdf http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/ogdsgeischap4.pdf http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/ogdsgeischap4.pdf http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/46288.html http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/46288.html Arthur, Daniel. Hydraulic Fracturing Considerations for Natural Gas Wells of the Marcellus Shale. Rep. ALL Consulting, Sept. 2008. Web. Arthur, Daniel. Hydraulic Fracturing Considerations for Natural Gas Wells of the Marcellus Shale. Rep. ALL Consulting, Sept. 2008. 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