Air Quality and Health Impacts of
New Pipelines In West Virginia
Prepared for Citizens Meeting
Durbin, WV
August 7, 2014
Matt Walker and Sam Koplinka-Loehr
Clean Air Council
Presentation Overview
• Introduction.
• Air Pollution Sources from Pipelines.
• Health Impacts of Pollutants.
Extra Resources:
• Pipeline Information.
• Regulatory Information.
• Citizen Action!
Photo Source: Bob Donnan: http://www.donnan.com/EPA_Air-Quality_92711.htm
Clean Air Council
Marcellus Shale Program
•
•
•
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Lawsuits against polluters or agencies.
Track current rulemaking and write comments on regulations.
Work with residents to comment and testify on natural gas equipment.
Community actions to achieve goals outside of regulatory pathways.
Air Pollution Sources
Pipeline Leakages
CH4
The Guts of a Compressor Station
NOx, PM, CO2, VOCs, HAPs, CH4
Fugitive Emissions/Leakages
Leakage from Compressor Stations. Source: EPA
Truck Traffic
NOx, PM, CO2
Condensate Tanks
VOCs & HAPs
Flaring/Venting
Source: Frank Finan
HAPs, CH4
Unplanned Events
2012 Columbia
Pipeline Group
Explosion in
Sissonville
West Virginia.
Biggest NOx Contributors
Adapted from Allen Robinson, http://iom.edu/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Environment/EnvironmentalHealthRT/2012-Apr-30/Robinson.pdf
Biggest VOC Contributors
Adapted from Allen Robinson, http://iom.edu/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Environment/EnvironmentalHealthRT/2012-Apr-30/Robinson.pdf
Dallas Fort Worth
In 2009, the gas industry released more smog-forming
emissions than all cars and trucks in the Dallas metro area
–
New York Times article citing Armendariz’s 2009 report, supported by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/05/27/27greenwire-could-smog-shroud-the-marcellus-shales-natural-3397.html?pagewanted=all
Health Impacts from Pollutants
Pollutants from Shale Gas Infrastructure
42-inch Pipeline Compressor Stations
• Spectra Algonquin Pipeline.
Stony Point Compressor Station
Emissions: School Bus Equivalent
• Compared to other 42”
pipeline compressor
stations, emissions
could equal 700
constantly idling diesel
school buses on
average.
Potential Health Impacts from
Nitrogen Oxide (NOx)
• Low levels:
– eye, nose, throat & lung
irritation.
– coughing, shortness of
breath.
– tiredness, nausea.
• High levels:
– rapid burning, spasms,
and swelling of throat and
upper respiratory tract.
– reduced O2 in tissues.
– fluid build-up in lungs.
Source: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/TF.asp?id=396&tid=69
Potential Health Impacts from
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs)
– Includes known and suspected
carcinogens.
– Skin, eye, nose, and throat
irritation; headaches, loss of
coordination, nausea; damage
to liver, kidney, and central
nervous system over time.
VOCs: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html, Formaldehyde: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts111.pdf ,
Hydrogen Sulfide: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=388&tid=67
Potential Health Impacts from Fine
Particulate Matter
• Short-term exposure
– Eye, nose, and throat
irritation.
• Long-term exposure
– Increase in risk of cancer.
– Exacerbates lung disease.
Ozone
• VOCs + NOx + Sunlight.
• Major component of smog.
• Source of Precursors: compressor engines, engine exhaust,
flaring, fugitive methane, open-air impoundments.
Potential Health Impacts from Ozone
• Aggravation of asthma, bronchitis & emphysema and
increased susceptibility to pneumonia & bronchitis.
• Linked to bladder, breast, and lung cancers, stroke, diabetes,
lung damage, and premature death.
• Throat irritation, congestion, coughing, and chest pain.
• Wheezing and breathing difficulties.
Source: http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/health.html
American Lung Association, “Health Effects of Ozone and Particle Pollution,” State of the Air, 2011; President’s Cancer
Panel, Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now, 2008-2009 Annual Report (National Cancer Institute,
May 2010).
Other Health Considerations
• Silica Dust
– The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recently identified airborne silica
exposure as a health hazard to workers at fracking
operations.
– Causes silicosis (lung disease).
• Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials
– Natural gas in the Marcellus Shale has one of the
highest concentrations of cancer-causing NORMS
compared to other types of shale deposits.
– The DOH and EPA consider radon to be a human
carcinogen.
Marvin Resnikoff, Ph.D., Ekaterina Alexandrova, Jackie Travers. May 19, 2010. Radioactivity in Marcellus Shale. Radioactive Waste
Management Associates.http://energy.wilkes.edu/PDFFiles/Library/Marcellus%20Shale%20Radioactivity%20Report%205-18-2010.pdf
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Hazard
Alert for Worker Exposure to Silica During Hydraulic Fracturing. Retrieved
from:http://www.osha.gov/dts/hazardalerts/hydraulic_frac_hazard_alert.html
Health Impact Research
2013: McKenzie et al. found elevated risk of birth defects in
populations residing within a ten-mile radius of gas wells.
2013: Interdisciplinary group of Texas researchers found toxic
chemicals were “strongly associated” with air testing
surrounding compressor stations.
2011: A team led by Theo Colburn of the Endocrine Disruptor
Exchange found that 25% of chemicals known to be used
in fracking fluids are implicated in cancer, 37% in endocrine
system disruption, and 75% could affect the skin, eyes and
respiratory system.
Source: http://concernedhealthny.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CHPNY-Fracking-Compendium.pdf
Questions?
• Matt Walker, mwalker@cleanair.org
• Sam Koplinka-Loehr, SKL@cleanair.org
Extra Resources
How Residents Can Protect Public Health
Know Your Rights!
• For Landowners, you have the right to say no to the
pipeline and organize to stop the project.
• The three companies do not currently have any rights
to your land for surveying or any other purpose.
• You have the right to negotiate for a contract that
covers lawyers fees, land remediation, insurance, and
any other condition that you want.
• http://www.cleanair.org/knowyourrights
Regulatory Timeline
• Fall 2014: FERC pre-filing process begins for
Dominion SE Reliability.
– Public comment period begins.
• Summer 2015: Dominion formal FERC
application.
– Filing to intervene in the process gives you the
right to request company materials and appeal the
decision.
Talking points and Questions for FERC
and State Agencies
• What will the annual emissions from the compressor
stations be?
• Request a public health impact study.
• What hazardous waste oversight will there be of
condensate tanks on site?
• Best practices for compressor stations:
–
–
–
–
Blowdown Injection
Electric Compressors
Hazardous Material Management Plan
Zero Emission Condensate Tanks
Electric Compressors
• Greatly reduce
emissions
• Depending on
gas prices, can
pay back within
3 years
Re-routing Blowdown Gas
• EPA standards
recommend rerouting blowdown
gas into sales lines or
intersecting pipelines
rather than doing an
atmospheric release
• Greatly reduces
emissions
• Depending on gas
prices, can pay back
within 2 years
Reality Check on Regulatory Process
FERC
•
•
•
•
•
Industry-funded commission
FERC works to “Promote the development of safe,
reliable and efficient energy infrastructure that
serves the public interest.”
According to the Office of the President, FERC took
action on 92% of pipelines between 2009-2013
with a year
The General Accounting Office has found that
average FERC approval time from pre-filing to
certification is 558 days
The Pipeline Safety Trust has been unable to find a
single instance of FERC denying approval for an
interstate gas transmission line
Source: http://pstrust.org/docs/PST_Briefing_Paper_09_1.pdf
Community Organizing & Direct
Action
Why Pipelines?
• Gas Boom
• Current daily Marcellus
production is 14.5
billion cubic feet
• Companies are trying to
get gas from the shale
fields to national and
international markets
Source: http://www.ogj.com/articles/uogr/print/volume-2/issue-3/marcelluscontinues-to-defy-expectations-driving-us-gas-production-ever-higher.html
Mountain Valley Pipeline
• EQT and Nextra Energy
joint project
• “Open season” just began
in June, 2014
Proposed:
• 330 miles of pipeline
• 42” pipeline diameter
• 2 billion cubic feet/day
Southeast Reliability Pipeline
• Dominion Resources
• Subcontracted land agents
& surveying: Doyle Land
Services
• Dominion plans to initiate
FERC process in Fall, 2014
Proposed:
• 550 miles
• 42” pipeline width
• 1.5 billion cubic feet/day
Source: https://www.dom.com/business/gas-transmission/southeast-reliability-project/pdf/srp-generic-map.pdf
Spectra Pipeline
• Spectra Energy
• Currently beginning “open
season”
• From Southwest
Pennsylvania to North
Carolina
Proposed:
• 427 miles
• 42” pipeline width
• 1.1 billion cubic feet/day