Shale gas development impacts on surface water quality in Pennsylvania.

ABSTRACT: Concern has been raised in the scientific literature about the environmental implications of extracting natural gas from deep shale formations, and published studies suggest that shale gas development may affect local groundwater quality. The potential for surface water quality degradation has been discussed in prior work, although no empirical analysis of this issue has been published. The potential for large-scale surface water quality degradation has affected regulatory approaches to shale gas development in some US states, despite the dearth of evidence. This paper conducts a large-scale examination of the extent to which shale gas development activities affect surface water quality. Focusing on the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, we estimate the effect of shale gas wells and the rele

SUBMITTER: Olmstead SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3612605 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature