Environmental Impacts

Access Penn State Extension’s educational resources to uncover details on Marcellus Shale natural gas development and its environmental impacts. Learn more about seismic activity, light and noise, soil compaction, and the effects on forest habitat and wildlife. Information on natural gas pollution, methane leakages, and hydraulic fracturing is available.

Natural Gas Pollution

Natural gas can be an efficient and economical energy source. Compared to coal and petroleum, burning natural gas for energy emits fewer air pollutants and less carbon dioxide. It is still important to know, though, that natural gas production and use does come with certain environmental and safety issues.

Local citizens and leaders should be well-informed and plan for potential changes resulting from the development of shale gas. Affected communities should consider issues such as noise and light impacts and land use.

Another significant consideration is atmospheric methane emissions. Natural gas is composed primarily of methane – a strong greenhouse gas that can leak into the atmosphere during drilling, extraction, or pipeline transportation and cause explosions. While methane has a fairly short lifetime, it is considerably more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. A number of technologies and developments are currently being tested to help make pipelines safer and reduce methane leakages.

In this section, access Penn State Extension’s resources, including webinars addressing biosecurity for energy production operations, as well as the general issues of shale development health research.

Marcellus Shale and the Impact on the Environment

Exploring, drilling, and extracting natural gas within the Marcellus Shale area can potentially impact Pennsylvania’s surface and groundwater, soils, and wildlife habitats.

Some of the more common concerns about water resources and shale gas drilling regard water acquisition, water use, and wastewater treatment and discharge. Proper testing of water sources near gas drilling activity is recommended to help identify drinking water quality and safety. Water testing parameters often include alkalinity, chloride, methane, and coliform bacteria.

Local soils can also be impacted by well drilling and pipeline installation activities. Among the more prevalent issues is soil compaction. This reduction of soil volume can lower productivity and environmental quality. If leasing gas exploration rights, remember to negotiate important addenda, such as soil surface restoration and alleviation of severe compaction by subsoiling. Learn more about avoiding soil compaction pressure during the Basic Soil Reclamation webinar.

Natural gas extraction activities may also impact wildlife by exposing it to contaminated ponds, spills, and chemicals. Common best management practices include reducing the size of roads, placing pipelines in corridors along the road, and reducing noise from equipment operation and maintenance. Learn more during Penn State Extension’s webinars on habitat conversion in forests and the effects of shale development on wildlife.

The Environmental Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a major part of developing Marcellus gas wells. While its technology has played a notable role in US oil and gas production, issues such as releasing treated hydraulic fracturing wastewater may have longer-lasting effects than initially anticipated.

As fracking often requires large amounts of water, it can pose a potential threat to local water sources. If not managed properly, the water withdrawal associated with hydraulic fracturing can lead to stream dewatering or warming, as well as affect fish habitats and species diversity.

In this section, find an array of information on the environmental effects of fracturing. Discover how to minimize natural gas environmental impacts by using safe and reliable fracking methods during the Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site (HFTS) webinar. Information on proppants and their role in hydraulic fracturing is available, as well.