There’s a good bit that goes into developing a Marcellus Shale natural gas well location. From a pure development standpoint, according to ShaleNET – a U.S. Department of Labor supported training program – each well requires 400 people working in nearly 150 occupations to complete. Additionally, approximately 3 million pounds of steel and cement are required to construct each well, along with a host of additional equipment and services. For a more detailed overview of the various steps in the development process, click HERE

As for the release of natural gas into the atmosphere, if widespread, then yes, there could be an environmental impact. However, as recently reported by the Associated Press, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently revised their methane emissions estimates from natural gas systems by 20 percent.

Here’s an excerpt from that story:

  • The new EPA data are ‘‘kind of an earthquake’’ in the debate, said Michael Shellenberger, president of the Breakthrough Institute, an environmental group in Oakland, Calif. ‘‘This is great news for anybody concerned about the climate and strong proof that existing technologies can be deployed to reduce methane leaks.’’

The scope of the EPA’s revision was vast. In a mid-April report on greenhouse emissions, the agency said tighter pollution controls instituted by the industry resulted in an average annual decrease of 41.6 million metric tons of methane emissions from 1990 through 2010, or more than 850 million metric tons overall. That’s about a 20 percent reduction from previous estimates. The agency converts the methane emissions into their equivalent in carbon dioxide, following standard scientific practice.

The EPA revisions came even though natural gas production has grown by nearly 40 percent since 1990. The industry has boomed in recent years, thanks to a stunning expansion of drilling in previously untapped areas because of the use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which injects sand, water, and chemicals to break apart rock and free the gas.

Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has conducted sampling to track any potential air impacts associated with Marcellus development. In a 2011 survey, the department “did not identify concentrations of any compound that would likely trigger air-related health issues associated with Marcellus Shale drilling activities.”  The department is currently in the middle of a one-year air quality study in Washington County, Pa.