TU concerned about pipeline's impact on wild trout streams
TU concerned about pipeline’s impact on wild trout streams
By Tyler Frantz
Everyone knows that oil and water don’t mix. But it turns out that natural gas pipelines and wild trout waters may not mix too well either. At least that’s the latest worry creating a buzz among Trout Unlimited’s eastern region leaders.
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| Trout populations are often affected by human progress |
Of particular concern is the proposed PennEast Pipeline- a 114-mile project that would transport fracked shale gas from Luzerne County, PA southeast across the Delaware River Watershed to future home sites near Trenton, NJ.
The preliminary pipeline proposal calls for a 36-inch diameter pipe to cross ninety-five streams in Pennsylvania and sixty-five in New Jersey; many of which are prime trout fishing destinations, including Bear Creek, Mud Run, Tobyhanna Creek, Pohopoco Creek, and even the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers.
Construction would entail clearing a 100-ft temporary right of way, which would later be scaled back to a maintained 50-ft land swath after installation. Ultimately, the project could affect over 1,300 acres of land along its proposed route through areas like Wilkes-Barre, Jim Thorpe, Nazareth, Easton and Alexandria.
TU leaders are worried that, if not done properly, runoff sediment from construction of the buried line could create long-lasting problems for some of Pennsylvania’s most pristine trout waters.
“This is the next frontier of energy extraction and transport,” said TU Eastern Water Project Director, Katy Dunlap. “At this point, the natural gas wells have already been drilled and energy companies are now looking to distribute.”
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| The author ties up near a proposed crossing of Mud Run |
The extraction process for natural gas, which is found in the Marcellus shale layer roughly one mile beneath the earth’s surface, as well as liquid natural gas located in the Utica layer 600-900 feet deeper, requires an incredible quantity of natural resources to produce results.
Though each well pad may only affect three to five acres of land on site, hydraulic fracturing requires three to five million gallons of water and 11-million pounds of sand per well, plus an additional supply of undisclosed chemicals.
Ironically, the large majority of well sites in the state are situated right in the heart of Pennsylvania trout country, with the top six producing counties (1.Washington, 2.Bradford, 3.Susquehanna, 4.Greene, 5.Lycoming and 6.Tioga) ranging from 661 to 1,146 active wells per county.
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| TU's Paula Piatt and Katy Dunlap discuss head water protection |
With such a plentiful supply of energy now ready for transport, companies like PennEast are looking forward to cashing in on their investment by taking the gas directly to the consumer.
Unfortunately, a pipeline must be built for this to happen, which if not done correctly, could result in prime trout habitat being disturbed and a host of aquatic species being thrown out of balance within their native ecosystem.
“We are not naïve enough to think we can stop this pipeline from being built,” Dunlap said. “But we are hoping to do everything within our power to ensure that it is built in a responsible manner – one that’s as minimally invasive as possible to water quality and trout habitat.”
In an effort to protect special waterways harboring wild trout and other aquatic life from the potential negative impacts of the natural gas boom, Trout Unlimited is advocating for more streams in the area to be designated as “Class A” waters and “Wild Trout Streams” by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
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| Many gas wells are located near the state's best trout waters |
Under Chapter 93 of Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations, wetlands adjacent and contiguous to wild trout streams are protected as “Exceptional Value” waters, and may also qualify as “High Quality” waters, which would grant them more stringent environmental protections from development based on their designated status as “Cold Water Fisheries.”
This would not necessarily stop the pipeline construction, but would potentially result in a more strictly enforced permitting process, closer scrutiny when planning and installing routes, and more disclosure as to exactly where and how the streams will be crossed- which at present remains vague.
To qualify for protection as a designated waterway, streams must be found to hold wild populations of trout. Thus, TU and PFBC have entered a partnership to carry out the “Unassessed Waters Initiative,” through which specialized stream survey teams use science-based water quality test data and electro-shocking techniques to determine the presence of naturally producing trout populations.
Prior to 2010, biologists had only assessed 2,175 of Pennsylvania’s 62,000 streams. However, more intensive surveying over the past five years has resulted in 374 new streams being added to the Wild Trout Stream list since the initiative’s launch.
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| An angler releases a trout in Pohopoco Creek |
TU has identified 278 potential streams for assessment in the Delaware River Watershed for 2015, hoping to gain even more protection for local waters before PennEast submits its finalized formal application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for environmental review, which is expected to happen this fall.
Patricia Kornick, a spokeswoman from the PennEast Pipeline Company, claims PennEast is taking the risks to the environment seriously and has a plan in place for completing the project responsibly.
“PennEast has teams of safety, engineering, environmental and geological specialists working to define the best route that will allow for safe construction and operations while minimizing impact to the community and the environment,” said Kornick.
“In determining the final route, PennEast analyzes numerous factors, including those pertaining to sedimentation. Once PennEast identifies the final preferred route, they also will be able to finalize mitigation measures.”
Kornick added that a detailed mitigation plan would also be submitted as part of its formal application to FERC.
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| TU advocates for the protection of wild trout waters |
“The mitigation plan will address many things, including installation of erosion control devices, any construction restrictions during spawning season, any specialized construction methods and water body crossing methods.”
“With today's level of knowledge and technological advancements, we are fortunate that we do not have to choose between protecting the environment and meeting consumer demand for natural gas and electricity,” Kornick said.
Obviously, there are pros and cons to any form of energy expansion. After all, energy extraction, distribution and consumption are all essential components to maintaining forward human progress. Doing so takes time, money, space and natural resources.
But the merits of the natural gas boom need not come at the expense of our state’s prized coldwater resource; and if Trout Unlimited has anything to do with it, it won’t.
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