The West Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited has become the first state TU council to oppose drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale formation.
Here’s the news release:
Arlington, VA — In a unanimous vote, Trout Unlimited’s (TU) West Virginia Council voted in favor of a moratorium on natural gas leasing in the Monongahela National Forest.
The vote, which occurred at the council’s general membership meeting on February 20, was the first decision made by the state council regarding drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation, a region that is rich in natural gas resources and includes portions of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio.
The hydro-fracturing process used to release gas from the Marcellus Shale formation requires up to 8 million gallons of water per well to extract the gas from deep underground. In addition, an undisclosed blend of chemicals is used in hydro-fracturing. Water withdrawal from streams and rivers, and particularly the treatment of the chemically laden wastewater from drilling sites, has proven to be of significant concern in several areas in Pennsylvania where Marcellus drilling has occurred.
“TU’s West Virginia state council and its individual members should be commended for taking this critically important position regarding the protection of native brook trout populations on the Monongahela National Forest,” said Bryan Moore, TU’s Vice President for Volunteer Operations and Watersheds.
“The Monongahela is not only a treasured resource for the residents of the state and the mid-Atlantic region, but also contains 85% of West Virginia’s remaining brook trout populations,” Moore continued. “We simply cannot afford to use these sensitive public lands as an experimental testing ground for a drilling process which has resulted in irreparable resource damage in neighboring states.”
“TU is committed to working with the U.S. Forest Service to protect these last remaining brook trout, recognizing that once they are lost, they are lost forever. That is a risk TU is simply unwilling to take,” Moore said.
TU’s West Virginia council voted in favor of a moratorium on natural gas leasing in the national forest because of the potential for irreparable habitat destruction to rivers, streams and other fish and wildlife habitat. TU’s West Virginia council represents TU’s 1,500 members in the state. TU, as a national organization, has opposed drilling in the Monongahela and supports the West Virginia council position.
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Too bad the Monongahela isn’t committed to protecting brook trout. They are not asserting any of their surface rights where the subsurface is owned privately, though US Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service lawyers both have indicated that they could do more. Recall that they tried to have BLM auction off mineral leases on the forest where the government OWNED the mineral rights in the national recreation area. That got pulled by BLM after they learned that the Monongahela did not disclose the presence of karst and endangered species. Being shadier than BLM is tough, but the Monongahela leadership managed to do it.
John, did Trout Unlimited come out against drilling on Marcellus Shale, or did it come out against drilling for Marcellus shale gas on the Monongahela National Forest? There’s a huge difference, but your headline seems to misdirect.
The Monongahela Forest is composed of public lands and is open to all citizens for recreation, scientific study, and ecosystem management, as well as timber and energy extraction. TU is asking to preserve use by the public against the possibility, and the demonstrated devastation that would taint water, kill more brook trout, and ruin a legacy that most West Virginians would rather not see ruined.
The reason Marcellus shale operations is such a big deal is that there are no controls, not much enforcement and huge consequences by introducing millions of gallons of toxic materials to these sensitive and disappearing trout streams.
The WV house and senate have an opportunity to take steps toward protecting water quality and natural resources with legislation currently under consideration.
Kudos to the WV Trout Unlimited Council for pressing for a moratorium on drilling in the Monongahela Forest. Bold moves are needed to guide Forest management in its responsibility and the WVTU council has boldly made the first step.
Let’s hope the legislature follows the TU state council’s lead and stands up for the people and wildlife of West Virginia regarding this statewide threat. Tightening controls and raising the expectations of the state offices responsible for regulating the practice would be a logical and timely step in the right direction.