Issue 6, 2014

Evolving shale gas management: water resource risks, impacts, and lessons learned

Abstract

Unconventional shale gas development promises to significantly alter energy portfolios and economies around the world. It also poses a variety of environmental risks, particularly with respect to the management of water resources. We review current scientific understanding of risks associated with the following: water withdrawals for hydraulic fracturing; wastewater treatment, discharge and disposal; methane and fluid migration in the subsurface; and spills and erosion at the surface. Some of these risks are relatively unique to shale gas development, while others are variations of risks that we already face from a variety of industries and activities. All of these risks depend largely on the pace and scale of development that occurs within a particular region. We focus on the United States, where the shale gas boom has been on-going for several years, paying particular attention to the Marcellus Shale, where a majority of peer-reviewed study has taken place. Governments, regulatory agencies, industry, and other stakeholders are challenged with responding to these risks, and we discuss policies and practices that have been adopted or considered by these various groups. Adaptive Management, a structured framework for addressing complex environmental issues, is discussed as a way to reduce polarization of important discussions on risk, and to more formally engage science in policy-making, along with other economic, social and value considerations. Data suggests that some risks can be substantially reduced through policy and best practice, but also that significant uncertainty persists regarding other risks. We suggest that monitoring and data collection related to water resource risks be established as part of planning for shale gas development before activity begins, and that resources are allocated to provide for appropriate oversight at various levels of governance.

Graphical abstract: Evolving shale gas management: water resource risks, impacts, and lessons learned

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
06 Jan 2014
Accepted
17 Mar 2014
First published
17 Mar 2014
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2014,16, 1400-1412

Author version available

Evolving shale gas management: water resource risks, impacts, and lessons learned

B. G. Rahm and S. J. Riha, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2014, 16, 1400 DOI: 10.1039/C4EM00018H

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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