Geological Survey. A new scientific approach can now provide regional assessments of land recovery following oil and gas drilling activities, according to a new U. Geological Survey study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. These are the first published studies to demonstrate water-quality impacts to a surface stream due to activities at an unconventional oil and gas wastewater deep well injection disposal site.
On average, streams in the Niobrara-Mowry Play of eastern Wyoming, Fayetteville Play of Arkansas, and Barnett Play of Texas ranked most vulnerable to unconventional oil and gas development, but for different reasons, according to recent U. Geological Survey coauthored research. Many grassland bird species in the Bakken shale region, including some seriously declining populations, are displaced from their habitats as a result of oil and gas development, according to new U.
Geological Survey research. Wastewater treatment plants that process waters from oil and gas development were found to discharge elevated levels of toxic chemicals known as brominated disinfection byproducts, according to a new study by the U. On April 20, , the Deepwater Horizon Drilling Platform exploded and sank, causing the largest oil spill yet recorded. Each sample was placed in a glass jar detailing the date, time, and location it was discovered.
An oiled sea otter from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Skip to main content. Search Search. Apply Filter. What are the oil reserves in the Bakken Formation? The USGS provides estimates of undiscovered, technically recoverable resources that have yet to be found drilled , but if found, could be produced using currently available technology and industry practices.
These estimates are based on knowledge about the geology of the area. In contrast, reserves are oil resources that are already discovered, How much oil and gas are actually in the Bakken Formation?
The USGS estimates that there may be 4. These are estimates of oil that has yet to be found, but if found, could be produced using currently available technology and industry practices. Estimates are based on What are some of the difficulties of drilling in the Bakken Formation?
Traditional oil fields extract oil from rocks with relatively high porosity and permeability, so the oil flows out fairly easily. In contrast, the Bakken Formation is a relatively tight formation with low porosity and low permeability rock, from which oil flows with difficulty. Most oil spills are the result of accidents at oil wells or on the pipelines, ships, trains, and trucks that move oil from wells to refineries.
Oil spills contaminate soil and water and may cause devastating explosions and fires. The federal government and industry are developing standards, regulations, and procedures to reduce the potential for accidents and spills and to clean up spills when they occur.
Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act of , which requires all new oil tankers built for use between U. The amount of oil spilled from ships dropped significantly during the s partly because of these double-hull standards. The U. In response to several major accidents involving trains carrying crude oil, the U.
Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration established new standards for railroad tank cars, braking controls, and speed restrictions to reduce the potential for railroad accidents and oil spills. These procedures are designed to properly seal off subsurface rock formations and to remediate restore well sites to their original condition.
Wells that are not properly plugged and abandoned can remain a possible hazard, potentially leaking fluids and gases and interfering with future surface development. Environmental Protection Agency is working to address this issue. Some old offshore oil rigs are tipped over and left on the sea floor in a Rigs-to-Reefs program. Within a year after a rig is toppled, barnacles, coral, sponges, clams, and other sea creatures cover the rig.
These artificial reefs attract fish and other marine life, and they increase fish populations and recreational fishing and diving opportunities. Oil and petroleum products explained Oil and the environment. What is energy? Units and calculators. Use of energy. Energy and the environment. Carol has lived in the Southwest since and has worked on a variety of issues here including land use and wilderness designation. Carol is an avid backpacker, hiker, and runner. Jen Pelz joined Guardians in March as the Wild Rivers Program Director where she strives to breathe new life into the endangered rivers of the West.
She received her B. Jen practiced law for seven years at a small private firm in Denver, litigating land use, public lands and water law cases. She loves spending time with her husband and two little girls, tending her organic garden, and slowly remodeling her ranch home.
Jen lives with her family in Colorado. His personal passion is wild places. His professional passion is telling stories to change the world for the better. A psychology degree and undergraduate and graduate work in earth and environmental science from Wesleyan University and a mediation certification from the University of New Mexico Law School laid the foundation for intimately understanding people and what motivates them.
Dave's nearly 20 years of professional experience creating communications for nonprofits, business-to-business and consumer clients nationwide means he excels at creating powerful brand experiences that move people. As a Guardian, he feels tremendously honored to integrate his lifelong passion and reverence for wild places with his professional experience to help protect and restore those ecosystems for generations to come.
Historical Archive for Reference Only. Drilling effects on clean air Drilling Pollution and Solutions. Drilling Away Clean Air? This means the rules would actually cost nothing.
VOCs react with sunlight to form ground-level ozone, the key ingredient of smog and contain other toxic compounds. The proposed rules would reduce methane emissions by 3. This will be like eliminating the carbon dioxide emissions of 15 coal-fired power plants. What The Future Holds To be clear, fossil fuels, including natural gas, are no substitute for clean energy. Contact [email protected] Lizzy is a Diehl Environmental Law Fellow focused on wildlife protection.
She grew up in Colorado, where she developed her passion for nature and exploring the outdoors. She did as much pro bono as possible during law school and worked with Crag Law Center and the Center for Biological Diversity, focusing on salmon protection.
She currently resides on the Oregon coast with her partner and two labs, where she loves to hike, bake, and spend time at the beach. As part of the Guardians Resource Team, her role is largely focused on background support to keep the small and mighty engine that is WildEarth Guardians running smoothly.
Danielle is no stranger to supportive roles, when she is not at Guardians she is supporting families during the wonderful, potent and awesome transition that is pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
She has supported many families in New Mexico as a Doula. She also runs a small herbal company that focuses primarily on this transition. Danielle has a B. For Guardians, he concentrates mostly on protecting imperiled species via the Endangered Species Act. At UCLA, his focus is on environmental law and tribal legal development. His first novel, Mordor, California, will be published in the fall. He lives with his wife Camrynn, his son Kyber, and his dogs K. His work focuses on photographing the Rio Grande and its impact on ecology and human life.
He became concerned with the drying of the river from his experience of growing up in El Paso, Texas, without water in the Rio Grande. Only in pictures of other parts of the country did he know what a river was supposed to be like. Javier enjoys watching stand up comedy and video games in his free time. She now takes every opportunity she can to row or raft down a river, or go and see some trees!
Siera hopes to translate her love and passion for the outdoors and all its wonders into a successful legal career advocating for the protection of the natural environment so it might be preserved for future generations to love and enjoy.
Combining her interests in the natural and social sciences, she received her Bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Washington in Growing up in the Pacific Northwest exploring parks and forests has made her passionate about protecting public lands, wildlife, and clean air and water for present and future generations. He received his B. In his free time, Reza is usually doing some outdoor activity like backpacking, cycling, or diving. Contact [email protected].
He is a rising Junior at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Simon is a Political Science major that has a passion for examining, improving, and defending the laws and regulations that make our world a better place for people and wildlife.
Simon grew up and still lives in Oak Park, the first suburb west of the Chicago city limits. A lifelong aspiration to help protect wildlife and their habitat ensued. Andrew helped thousands of people increase their connection to nature as the Assistant Naturalist at the renowned Horicon Marsh with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Andrew spent over a decade working with American Bird Conservancy managing a portfolio of projects in nearly a dozen countries in Latin America leading to the protection and restoration of thousands of acres of grassland, forest and wetland habitat for migratory and highly endangered endemic birds.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin — Stevens Point, with degrees in Biology and Wildlife Management, Andrew continues to bring innovative solutions to complex conservation problems. Andrew enjoys international travel having visited 28 countries. He also enjoys rock climbing, skiing, yoga, hiking and fine dining. Andrew is the descendant of two WWII concentration camp escapees. Jack has worked on social and environmental justice issues throughout his adult life and during his time as an Environmental Studies student at Northern Arizona University.
In he began working with Feel free to send him an email to chat about the work he is doing to protect public lands across the Greater Gila Bioregion. She is passionate about soil science and the rights of land. Zoe enjoys vegetable gardening and one of her life goals is to swim in as many bodies of water as possible. Originally from Jupiter, Florida, she grew up scuba diving, snorkeling, and hiking in a state with unique ecosystems such as everglades and coral reefs, shaping her into the environmentally conscious individual she is today.
Working at a sea turtle hospital and watching toxic algae blooms negatively affect both coral reefs and endangered species inspired her to drive positive change and pursue a career in environmental law. After graduation, she worked as an intern at JLA Geosciences, a hydrogeological contracting firm where she learned the importance of sustainable water and land management. Megan is very involved with the environmental law community through her leadership roles in the Land Air Water Environmental Law Society.
Her research is focused on Biocriteria and reforming the CWA to better protect coral reefs and better address agricultural runoff. During her 2L year she also competed in the Jeffrey G.
During the summer of she worked for the U. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce. In the fall of , she had a judicial externship at the U. Luckily, new advances, such as satellites, global positioning systems and seismic technology help researchers find oil reserves before drilling, leading to the drilling of fewer wells. With technology, wells also tend to be smaller than they once were. While seismic technology can decrease the damage done to marine habitats, its use can hold severe consequences for deep-sea life.
Unfortunately, there is a correlation between seismic noise and an increase in beached whales. It appears that seismic noise can disorient whales and other marine mammals, causing them to beach themselves. The death of whales is not only sad, but can also impact the delicate web of marine life. While extracting oil has many effects on the environment, not all of them are bad.
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