Routes to Sustainability for Natural Gas Development and Water and Air Resources in the Rocky Mountain Region

美国目前的能源系统依赖于有限的资源，这是气候变化的主要原因，也是全球冲突的关键来源。一个可持续的能源系统--一个使用可再生、低碳、负担得起的本地能源的系统--可能还需要几十年的时间。天然气被视为通往更可持续能源系统的“桥梁燃料”，因为天然气燃烧排放的温室气体比煤炭燃烧少。但是，加快天然气开发与保护水、空气资源之间出现了矛盾。这些冲突在一直在美国能源系统中发挥重要作用的落基山脉地区变得更加尖锐。最近天然气产量的大部分增长是利用水平钻井和水力压裂技术从“非常规”来源（煤层气、页岩气、致密气）中提取天然气的结果。水力压裂需要大量的水，这些水经过化学改性并注入以增加含气地层的渗透性。留在地下的压裂液和与采出水一起沿着返回地面（回流）的压裂液对地下和地表沃茨存在风险。天然气开采导致大气排放，特别是温室气体、氮氧化物和与臭氧产生有关的挥发性有机化合物的释放。这些对当地水和空气资源的压力必须与天然气生产对国家的好处相权衡，必须向公众提供可靠的信息，以便就能源和资源保护作出决定。这个可持续性研究网络（SRN）解决了天然气开采与水和空气资源保护之间的冲突，并制定了一个社会生态系统框架，以评估冲突并确定对科学信息的需求。将进行科学调查，以评估和减轻这些问题。外联和教育工作将侧重于公民科学、公众参与以及对科学和政策问题的认识。该SRN建议的智力价值包括：（1）通过分析地方、区域和国家在环境、社会和经济领域的成本和收益之间的权衡，检查天然气开发对水和空气资源的影响（社会生态系统）;（2）审查水力压裂、钻井和套管的工业实践，和气体收集基础设施的最佳管理做法建议（天然气基础设施）;（3）调查水文过程，确定天然气开采对地下水抽取和饮用水含水层和地表沃茨中污染物迁移的影响（水量）;（4）压裂液迁移到饮用水含水层、回注水和采出水的注入或排放的潜在风险的表征，以及通过处理回注水和采出水沃茨来减轻这些风险（水质）;（5）通过结合高-分辨率移动的采样和个人空气监测器的使用，作为“公民科学”的一个例子，为评估天然气开发对地方、地区和国家影响的空气质量模型提供数据（空气质量）;以及（6）对与水和空气接触有关的化学和非化学健康风险进行定量和定性评估。这一战略资源网的更广泛影响包括提高公众对天然气开发对水和空气资源的影响的认识，以及就天然气开发的地方影响、区域和国家利益和成本作出更好的决策。将通过广泛的教育和外联活动产生更广泛的影响：（1）与所有利益相关者合作传播最佳管理实践，（2）对科学家和科学活动进行多样化的沟通，以达到广泛的公众，（3）与美洲原住民部落和其他受天然气开发影响不成比例的代表性不足的群体合作，（4）旨在使大学和K-12水平的科学政策接口得到赞赏的教育工作，以及（5）通过公民科学，研讨会和情景规划让公众参与。

1240584 Ryan The current energy system in the United States relies on finite resources that are the major cause of climate change and a key source of global conflict. A sustainable energy system - one that uses renewable, low-carbon, affordable, and local energy sources - may be decades away. Natural gas is seen as the "bridge fuel" to a more sustainable energy system because natural gas combustion emits smaller amounts of greenhouse gases than coal combustion. However, conflicts have arisen between accelerated natural gas development and water and air resources protection. These conflicts are becoming acute in the Rocky Mountain region, which has always played an important role in the energy system of the United States. Most of the recent growth in natural gas production is the result of extracting gas from "unconventional" sources (coal-bed methane, shale gas, tight gas) with the techniques of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing requires large volumes of water that are chemically amended and injected to increase the permeability of the gas-bearing formations. The fracturing fluid left in ground and the fracturing fluid that returns to the surface (flowback), along with produced water, present risks to ground and surface waters. Natural gas extraction results in atmospheric emissions, particularly the release of greenhouse gases, oxides of nitrogen, and volatile organic compounds tied to the generation of ozone. These stresses on local water and air resources must be weighed against the benefits of natural gas production for the nation and the public must be provided with reliable information to make decisions about energy sources and resource protection. This Sustainability Research Network (SRN) addresses the conflict between natural gas extraction and water and air resources protection with the development of a social-ecological system framework with which to assess the conflict and to identify needs for scientific information. Scientific investigations will be conducted to assess and mitigate the problems. Outreach and education efforts will focus on citizen science, public involvement, and awareness of the science and policy issues. The intellectual merit of this SRN proposal includes (1) examination of the effects of natural gas development on water and air resources by analyzing trade-offs between local, regional, and national costs and benefits in environmental, social, and economic domains (social-ecological systems); (2) review of industry practices for hydraulic fracturing, well drilling and casing, and gas collection infrastructure for best management practices recommendations (natural gas infrastructure); (3) investigation of the hydrologic processes that determine impacts of natural gas extraction on groundwater withdrawal and contaminant transport in drinking water aquifers and surface waters (water quantity); (4) characterization of the potential risks of fracturing fluid migrating to drinking water aquifers, the injection or discharge of flowback and produced water, and the mitigation of these risks by treatment of the flowback and produced waters (water quality); (5) improved spatial and temporal monitoring of air pollutants by a combination of high-resolution mobile sampling and the use of personal air monitors as an example of "citizen science" feeding data to air quality models that assess the local, regional, and national implications of natural gas development (air quality); and (6) quantitative and qualitative assessment of the health risks, both chemical and non-chemical, associated with water and air exposure. The broader impact of this SRN includes improved public understanding of the effects of natural gas development on water and air resources and better decision-making regarding the local effects and regional and national benefits and costs of natural gas development. The broader impacts will be achieved through extensive education and outreach activities: (1) dissemination of best management practices in collaboration with all stakeholders, (2) diverse communication about scientists and scientific activity that will reach a broad portion of the public, (3) collaboration with Native American tribes and other under-represented groups disproportionately affected by natural gas development, (4) educational efforts aimed at providing appreciation for the science-policy interface at the university and K-12 levels, and (5) engagement of the public through citizen science, workshops, and scenario planning.