Standard Research Grant: The Marcellus Shale Gas Rush: A Study of Public, Private, and Academic Water Quality Monitoring Policies

水力压裂法，俗称水力压裂法，是一个具有国家重要性的问题。在德克萨斯州、宾夕法尼亚州和纽约州等提出新法规和新项目的州，这尤其令人感兴趣。该项目考察了构成能源生产对环境的已知和未知后果的社会和经济力量，重点是天然气钻探对纽约州和宾夕法尼亚州地表水的影响。本研究探讨了以下问题：1)公共机构在流域监测方面的投资在哪里？为什么这些公共努力分布不均？2)民间社会研究（志愿者或活动家的水质监测）在多大程度上填补了关于天然气钻探对水质影响的知识空白？为什么这些民间社会的努力分布不均？3)学术科学家如何以及在多大程度上帮助填补关于天然气钻探对水质影响的知识空白？为了回答这些问题，该项目使用了混合方法，包括A)对政府、学术科学、环境倡导团体和志愿水监测团体的关键线人进行定性访谈；B)对志愿流域团体和县保护区进行调查；C)使用地理信息系统（GIS）软件对研究工作分布进行社会空间和统计分析；D)对六个社区进行比较案例研究。该项目的更广泛影响包括有助于更好地理解监管科学在美国是如何运作的。特别是，研究结果将确定在流域监测方面获得最多和最少公共投资的社区和流域。这些信息将有助于监管机构、资助机构、学术研究机构和社区团体评估当前监测实践的有效性，并确定未来知识投资的优先领域。此外，通过记录民间社会研究的范围并分析其成果，本研究将产生对加强志愿科学组织能力的努力至关重要的知识。

Hydraulic fracturing, popularly known as water fracking, is an issue of national importance. It is of particular interest in states such as Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York where new regulations and projects are proposed. This project examines the social and economic forces that structure what is known and not known about the environmental consequences of energy production, focusing on the impacts of natural gas drilling on surface water in New York and Pennsylvania. The research investigates the following questions: 1) Where are public agencies investing in watershed monitoring, and why are these public efforts unevenly distributed? 2) To what extent does civil society research (volunteer or activist water quality monitoring) fill knowledge gaps about the impacts of gas drilling on water quality, and why are these civil society efforts unevenly distributed? 3) How and to what extent do academic scientists aid in filling knowledge gaps about the impacts of gas drilling on water quality? To answer these questions, the project uses mixed methods, including A) qualitative interviews with key informants in government, academic science, environmental advocacy groups, and volunteer water monitoring groups, B) a survey of volunteer watershed groups and county conservation districts, C) socio-spatial and statistical analysis of the distribution of research efforts, using Geographic Information System (GIS) software, and D) comparative case studies of six communities. The project's broader impact includes contributing to a better understanding of how regulatory science works in the US. In particular, research findings will identify communities and watersheds that have received the most and least public investment in watershed monitoring. This information will be useful to regulatory agencies, funding bodies, academic research institutions, and community groups as they assess the effectiveness of current monitoring practices and prioritize areas for future knowledge investments. Furthermore, by documenting the extent of civil society research and analyzing its outcomes, this study will generate knowledge that will be essential to efforts to strengthen the capacity of volunteer scientific organizations.