Environment to be Studied Before Drilling Work Begins
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
4 September 2010
By Andrew Conte
Scientists looking at the impact of Marcellus shale gas drilling said
they first need to measure the quality of the water, air and wildlife
before the work starts.
With that goal, the Heinz Endowments is providing grants worth about $2
million for local universities to study the industry by first setting
baselines for the environment in areas where the drilling has not
started, said Caren Glotfelty, director of the Heinz Endowments'
Environment Program.
"We see the ramping up of the drilling and development of these natural
gas wells in the region without a very adequate regulatory framework,"
she said. "There are just a lot of impacts that people aren't aware of."
Duquesne University plans to use its $87,320 grant to study the Tenmile
Creek Watershed in Washington County, said John Stolz, director of
Duquesne's Center for Environmental Research and Education.
Scientists there are planning to look at microbes in the water, fish
and salamanders, while officials at the University of Pittsburgh and
Carnegie Mellon University are establishing baselines for water and air
quality.
These kinds of baseline studies have not been conducted before, which
makes it impossible to verify claims that the drilling has fouled water
or caused other problems, Stolz said.
"It's not to say that we want to finger any one particular company," he
said. "The point is we need to know what the environmental impacts of
these activities are."
Andrew Conte can be reached at andrewconte@tribweb.com or 412-320-7835.