Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2010PA121B

Public Education on Water Issues Related to Marcellus Gas Drilling

Institute: Pennsylvania
Year Established: 2010 Start Date: 2010-03-01 End Date: 2011-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $17,500 Total Non-Federal Funds: $45,400

Principal Investigators: Bryan Swistock

Project Summary: Increasing development of Marcellus shale gas deposits throughout much of Pennsylvania is raising concerns about impacts on the states water resources. The use of large volumes of freshwater with chemical additives results in thousands of gallons of contaminated waste fluids at each drilling site. The storage and movement of these wastes in addition to naturally contaminated fluids and methane gas are all risks to nearby groundwater aquifers and streams. The rapid increase in drilling activity along with dated state regulations have increased public concerns about protection of water resources. In conjunction with an ongoing research project focused on groundwater impacts from Marcellus drilling, this project seeks to develop a team of Penn State Cooperative Extension professionals that will develop and deliver educational resources and programs related to water issues surrounding Marcellus gas drilling. We propose to hold a one-day training workshop to facilitate development and training of the team. In addition, the project will allow for the development of numerous written and web-based publications along with a short video summarizing water concerns and results from the companion research project. Student support will be used to develop a web-based clearinghouse of existing unbiased resources that can be added to the water extension web site along with a listing of third-party water testing labs serving the state. The trained team and resources will be used to deliver numerous face-to-face educational programs and webinars on Marcellus water issues, potentially reaching thousands of stakeholders in the state.