PA Environment Digest

Watch for an announcement on April 4 from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation related to requesting the federal government to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the cumulative impacts of Marcellus Shale development in Pennsylvania and other Marcellus states.

In each of the six states in the region people are concerned about the many unknown consequences and cumulative impacts of natural gas drilling on the environment, drinking water, and human health. There currently exists a large knowledge gap that science must fill.

While the natural gas industry is largely exempted from federal jurisdiction, under the National Environmental Policy Act, the federal government still has the obligation to ensure that the cumulative effects of Marcellus shale drilling will not adversely affect human health or the quality of the environment.

In addition, the President’s Executive Order (on Chesapeake Bay restoration) says, “Restoration of the health of the Chesapeake Bay will require a renewed commitment to controlling pollution from all sources as well as protecting and restoring habitat and living resources, conserving lands, and improving management of natural resources, all of which contribute to improved water quality and ecosystem health. The Federal Government should lead this effort.”

And though there are several risk assessments underway, none is comprehensive or complete. The cumulative effects of pollution from Marcellus shale drilling activities currently underway or proposed in the future have not been assessed or factored in to any of the state plans to reduce pollution.

CBF’s partners include the National Parks Conservation Association, the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment, the Shenandoah Valley Network, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Audubon Pennsylvania, Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, the Mid-Atlantic Council Trout Unlimited, and The Garden Club of America.

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