The PA Chapter of The Natural Conservancy released a study in December 2011 on natural gas pipelines in Bradford County and Pennsylvania which projected Marcellus Shale development will result in from 10,000 to 25,000 miles of new natural gas gathering lines in the Commonwealth by 2030.

As a result of cleared pipeline rights-of-way that vary from 30 to 150 feet wide, between 120,000 and 300,000 acres of land will be affected (from 60,000 to 150,000 direct forest clearing) and between 360,000 and 900,000 acres of new forest edges will be created by pipeline routes.

About 3.1 acres of forest is cleared for well pads, 5.7 acres for roads, pipelines and containment pits, creating 21.2 acres of new forest edges for a total direct and direct impact for each Marcellus Shale well pad of 30 acres.

The pipeline footprint alone is larger than the cumulative area impacted by all other Marcellus gas infrastructure combined.

The cumulative impact of these pipelines permanently changes and fragments the habitats of birds and other forest species. 

Gathering pipelines run from well pads to compressor stations or natural gas processing facilities from which larger pipelines take the natural gas to markets.  The siting and routing of these pipelines is not regulated by the state or federal government.  

As many as half of the completed Marcellus Shale wells in Pennsylvania are not being produced because of the lack of gathering pipelines, according to TNC and DEP, so the pressure to build these pipelines will only grow over time.

Larger, interstate pipeline routes are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Pennsylvania does regulate the construction activity associated with the pipelines-- stream and wetland crossings and erosion and sedimentation concerns.  It also requires checks to determine if the routes will impact rare, threatened or endangered species.

A copy of the TNC study is available online.  TNC also did a report in November of 2010 documenting the impacts of Marcellus Shale natural gas and wind development in Pennsylvania.

In July 2011, the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission recommended that pipeline impacts be reduced by identifying changes needed to:

-- Share pipeline capacity  and reduce surface disturbance and related environmental impacts;

-- Encourage expansion of existing pipeline capacity and co‐location of new capacity with other rights‐of‐way; 

-- Improve coordination and consistency of infrastructure planning and siting decisions by state, county and local governments; and

-- Provide authority and resources for government agencies to ensure ecological and natural

resource information is used to review siting of pipelines in order to avoid or minimize habitat impacts.

In January 2012, the Gas and Hazardous Liquids Pipelines Act (Act 127) was signed into law by Gov. Corbett creating a statewide registry for non-public utility gas and hazardous liquids pipeline equipment and facilities in the Commonwealth and giving the Public Utility Commission the resources to enforce Federal pipeline safety (not environmental) laws in certain classifications of pipelines.

The PUC’s jurisdiction over gathering lines only goes as far as requiring pipeline operators to be part of the statewide registry.

In December 2012, the Governor’s Energy Executive issued a report on natural gas gathering lines noting there were 1,727.8 miles of gathering lines in Pennsylvania at that time over which neither the Public Utility Commission nor other state agency has jurisdiction except for regulating construction-related activities. 

The report made 16 recommendations for tightening regulatory and other requirements over the lines, including:

-- Legal impediments to the sharing of state and local road rights-of-way with gathering lines should be repealed or modified to encourage the use of existing corridors;

-- The PUC Code should be clarified to say sharing of pipeline capacity should not give a pipeline public utility status;

-- DEP/Corps of Engineers General Permit-4 should be changed to remove existing duplications related to the protection of historic, cultural and natural resources while increasing predictability in planning and permit processing time;

-- DEP should regularly review its Permit Decision Guarantee policy to ensure administratively complete permits are reviewed in a timely manner and consider expedited review for projects which share rights-of-way;

-- The PA Natural Diversity Inventory review tool should be enhanced to assist in up-front avoidance of conflicts with threatened and endangered species;

-- The PA One Call law should be amended to include mandatory participation and registration of all gathering lines;

-- The PUC should work with PA One Call to create a map of gathering lines;

-- County planning offices should work with drilling operators and gathering line companies to under future development plans to maximize opportunities for shared rights-of-way;

-- DEP should adopt environmental review standards for drilling proposals which seek to avoid surface disturbances, impacts on sensitive lands, forest fragmentation, viewsheds and direct intersection with waterways;

-- Pipeline operators should collaborate to standardize right-of-way markers;

-- Landowner outreach efforts, such as through county extension offices, should expand landowner awareness of standard terms and conditions and other important information related to leasing pipeline rights-of-way;

-- County and municipal governments should be encouraged to consult with gathering line operators to better understand the implications of a proposed project on local comprehensive plans;

-- The PUC and DEP should continue their efforts to coordinate and provide public outreach to further citizens’ understanding of the roles each agencies plan in the permitting of gathering lines;

-- The Governor’s Center for Local Government Services, along with the PUC and DEP, should work with local government associations to assist in disseminating information on the laws and requirements covering gathering lines.

-- Pipeline operators should be encouraged to consult with the appropriate experts to replant rights-of-way with vegetation that fosters habitat development for wildlife; and

-- Consideration should be given to using existing or new pipeline pathways nearing existing or potential industrial development to maximize job creation, lower energy costs and secure the nation’s energy independence.

In January 2013 the PA League of Women Voters issued a report on safety (not environmental) issues surrounding natural gas pipelines making more than 60 recommendations, many of which overlap with the report issued by the Governor’s Energy Executive.  Among the recommendations were--

-- Establish comprehensive regulations that encompass the entire transmission system along with publically accessible maps;

-- Develop emergency or hazard response contingency plans;

-- Provide greater authority, funding, and manpower for the Department of Environmental Protection;

-- Adequately enforce permit requirements; and

-- Standardize best practices of pipeline design and construction

The December 2013 decision by the PA Supreme Court declaring unconstitutional provisions of the Act 13 drilling law that said municipalities are preempted from regulating natural gas drilling activities under the Municipalities Planning Code may provide the opportunity for counties and municipalities to regulate gathering pipelines and other land uses associated with drilling operations through the comprehensive plan and zoning process.

While there were a number of reports done and recommendations made over the last three years on the issue of natural gas gathering pipelines, progress has been very slow on actually making the changes need to deal with the impacts of this part of the natural gas development infrastructure.

NewsClips:

Williams Extends Open House On Pipeline Project

Growing Marcellus Production Shifts Pipeline Activity

Pipeline Company Appeals Pipeline Case In York County

5/26/2014