Gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region is occurring or is being planned at a very fast pace. Over time, tens of thousands of wells are expected to be drilled in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio. In Maryland, the Marcellus Shale underlies the northwestern corner of the state—home to the Savage River watershed, a beloved tailwater trophy trout river.
Marcellus Shale gas deposits are accessed using a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing (also known as hydrofracking) is a process used to create fractures that extend from the well bore into a tight rock formation, allowing gas to travel readily from the rock pores to the production well. A mixture of water, sand and chemicals is pumped in high volumes under high pressure into the shale to create the fractures. Each well can use between two to eight million gallons of water for the hydrofracking process and this water can be taken from our small headwater streams—the areas that serve as important trout spawning habitat. Between 10 to 40 percent of water injected into each well, returns to the surface as wastewater. This amount can range from 300,000 to 3.6 million gallons. This wastewater contains chemicals, heavy metals, radioactive materials and salt water − all of which can negatively impact coldwater fisheries. New York state agencies estimate that more than 1,300 trucks will be leaving each well site carrying drilling wastewater. Transportation of water to and from the site requires a network of new roads that will bisect the landscape, potentially leading to fragmented forests, increased erosion and sedimentation, and potential transport of invasive species.
In the heart of the Marcellus Shale region, sportsmen and women and conservation groups are working together to identify and propose
solutions to mitigate the impacts from gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing on hunting, fishing and trapping experiences. The Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation supports responsible energy development, but the coalition has concerns about the current regulations governing Marcellus Shale development and hydrofracking and the inadequate monitoring, inspection and enforcement of the industry where drilling is occuring.
Trout Unlimited is a leading organization in the Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation, working to raise awareness among hunters, anglers and other outdoorsmen and women, and agencies and industry about how Marcellus Shale may impact our sporting heritage. To learn more, go to: www.sportsmenalliance.org.
TU’s Mid-Atlantic Council is a member of the Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation. In late July, TU’s Mid-Atlantic Council Chair, Nick Weber, of Brookeville, Md., was recently appointed by Governor O’Malley as a member of Maryland’s Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Advisory Commission. The commission is charged with studying Marcellus Shale gas impacts and making recommendations regarding legislation and best management practices necessary to protect the state’s natural resources and communities.