Transcript Surface water quality monitoring to address the impacts on

Surface water quality monitoring to address
the impacts on Marcellus Gas development
on small and medium streams in northeast
Pennsylvania
Thomas E. Barnard, Erich Schramm, Brian
Naberezny, Dale Bruns, Kenneth Klemow
Pennsylvania Academy of Science
30 March 2012
Outline
Overview of IEER program
Potential Environmental Impact → Water Quality Monitoring
Examples of pipeline construction
Sutton Creek Watershed
• Grab sampling
• Continuous Monitoring
• Aquatic macroinvertebrate
IEER
Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
for Northeastern Pennsylvania
• Established Spring 2010 at Wilkes University
• Grant from U.S. Department of Energy – National Energy
Technology Laboratory
• Focus on Marcellus Shale Gas Development
• Water Quality is major concern
• Wilkes has history of researching water quality issues
Objective
Develop a water quality monitoring program to assess impact of
Marcellus Shale gas development on surface waters
•Maximizes use of historical data and ongoing monitoring program
•Integrates efforts of community watershed associations
•Utilizes continuous monitoring technology
Wells Drilled Through 2008
Wells Drilled Through 2009
Wells Drilled Through 2010
Wells Drilled Through 2011
Silver Creek
Sutton Creek
Whitelock Creek
Trout Brook
Wilkes
University
Washington County
Balance Environment & Gas
Development
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What are the activities that may impact the environment?
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What are the potential impacts?
Anticipated and unanticipated
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How do we quantify & measure the impacts?
Pre- during- & post- construction
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How do we insure that impact is minimized?
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How is adverse impact mitigated?
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How do we transfer $ from those who benefit to those who incur the
cost?
Conceptual Model of Marcellus Gas
Development on Water Quality
Environmental Media Impacted ?
Activity
Surface water
Wetlands
Groundwater
Terrestrial
Atmosphere
Human Health
Access Roads
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Well Pad Site
Preparation
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Drilling
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Hydrofacking
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Gas Production
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Pipelines and
other infrastructure
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Water supply,
treatment, disposal
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Major Gas Pipelines
Natural Gas Pipelines in Northeastern Pennsylvania
2011
Existing
2012
2013
Improper Site Management Practices
During Construction
Dust control at Williams pipeline
Lower Demunds Road Dallas, PA
11 Dec 2011
Nov 2011
Inadequate erosion control
Sediment leakage
under spill pillows
Improper Site Management Practices
Post Construction
Pipeline completed no seeding or
mulch Franklin, PA
Mar 2012
Stockpile with no erosion control
Franklin, PA
Mar 2012
Construction road with no
seeding or mulch Franklin, PA
Mar 2012
Impacts of Pipeline Construction
Trout Brook, PA downstream of
construction site, Dallas, PA
Dec 2011
Sediment deposition at
construction site Moreland, PA
Mar 2012
Act 14 Notices to Municipalities
Chief Gathering LLC Wyoming Natural Gas Pipeline
- 29.93 miles Wyoming & Luzerne Counties
- Stream crossings Leonard Creek, Bowman Creek,
Sugar Hollow Creek, tributaries
Quantify Activities Using GIS
Pad Driveway
Well Pad
Pipelines
Source: Permit review, E L Rose Conservancy
Google Earth
Sutton Creek
watershed
Williams
Pipeline
Google Earth image 6 October 2011
Sutton Creek Watershed
 Luzerne County
 11.5 square miles
 Williams pipeline - 2011
 16.0 miles of streams are designated Cold
Water Fisheries
2.1 miles
 Two stream crossings
 Monitoring above and below construction
 Monitoring a third reference stream
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 UGI proposed pipeline - 2013
3.0 miles
 Two stream crossings
 Collecting baseline data
 Developing relationship with UGI for
potential collaborative
monitoring program
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 Historical data from
Lake Louise Lake Association
 The Bedrock is 100% sandstone
 Land Use/Land Cover is dominated by
forest but also contains a large agricultural
presence
IEER Monitoring Program
Grab Sampling
pH, Temperature, Conductance Turbidity
ortho-PO4, NO3
Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg,, Mn, Ni, Sr
Real Time
(Continuous)
pH, Temperature, Conductance Turbidity, Depth
Dissolved Oxygen, BG algae, Chlorophyll a
Aquatic
Macroinvertebrate
presence, number of individuals
Classify to Family or Genus
EPT, Hilsenhoff indexes
Lake Louise Historical Data
Sites
Inlets
Oct 2007 (2)
Nov 2009 (4)
May 2011 (5)
Outlet
Oct 2007
Nov 2009
May 2011
Pennsylvania Lake
Management Society
Water Quality Parameters
Fact Sheet
Nitrate-N mg/L
Total Phosphorous mg/L
0.19 – 0.33
0.10 – 0.46
0.09 – 0.33
0.61 – 1.62
0.04 – 0.99
0.04 – 0.53
0.19
0.12
0.24
0.00
0.29
0.59
Relatively “healthy”
lake = <0.05 mg/L in
summer,
> 0.03 mg/L = likely to
experience problem
weed and algae growth;
eutrophic
Source: Lake Louise Lake Association, Ecological Solutions, Inc.
Sutton Creek Grab Sampling
Sites
Inlets above Lake Louise
Nov 2011
Jan 2012
Lake Louise Outlet
Jan 2012
Sutton Creek Below Lake
Louise
Jan 2012
Nitrate-N mg/L
Ortho Phosphate mg/L
1.2 – 2.8
2.8 – 3.9
0.5 – 1.2
0.01 – 0.08
2.75
< 0.01
2.2 – 3.5
0.01
Continuous Monitoring
Solar powered – rechargeable battery
Communicate via cell phone
Readings every 5 min
Maintenance & calibration issues
Physical & Electrochemical Sensors
Example 1
Baseline Monitoring – Sutton Creek
Response to Snowfall, Road Salt and
Wash Off
Example 2
Whitelock Creek
Upstream/Downstream of Pipeline
Crossing During Construction
Macroinvertebrate
Station
Scientific
name
Count
Common
name
PTV
SC10
Simulidae
Helicopsyche
Chironomidae
Macrostemum
147
6
6
2
Blackfly
Caddisfly
Midgefly
Caddisfly
6
3
6
2
SC11
Chironomidae
Simulidae
Baetisca
Macrostemum
Anthopotamus
Leucrocuta
106
61
2
2
1
1
Midge
Blackfly
Mayfly
Mayfly
Mayfly
Mayfly
6
6
4
3
4
1
SC12
Simulidae
Chironomidae
Helicopsyche
Centroptilum
Turbellaria
98
60
1
1
1
Blackfly
Midge
Caddisfly
Caddisfly
Flatworm
6
6
3
3
9
Macroinvertebrate
Total Taxa
Richness
EPT Taxa
Richness
Hilsenhoff
Index
SC10
4
2
5.96
SC11
6
4
5.90
SC12
5
2
5.98
Station
Ongoing Work
Refine efforts to quantify gas development activities
Incorporate citizens monitoring data in public database
Standardize operations for continuous monitoring
Develop data analysis techniques for continuous monitoring
(integrate with traditional grab sampling)
Data vs. Processes
Data
What we measure
• Physical characteristics
• Concentration
• Biological
– Presence/absence
– Number of individuals
– Identification of species
Processes
What we want to know
• Weathering
• Mass transport
• Production/respiration
• Bio-uptake/partitioning
• Bio diversification
• Eutrophication
• Dilution
• Response to climate change