WV/PA MONONGAHELA AREA WATERSHEDS COMPACT

 RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON DECEMBER 3, 2010


13. Coal, oil and natural gas development and production activities along with limestone mining and other major extractive industries in our region have significant potential to contaminate the atmosphere with particulate solids, condensates, vapors, diverse gases and/or liquid droplets. Many of these materials are hazardous in the atmosphere and most are heavier than air. These substances can collect in valleys, they can move in clouds or as clumps near the ground. It is resolved that the states and federal agencies should respond to these hazards by instituting both discrete and continuous monitoring in the proximity of known sources.

The existing air quality monitoring programs, their mission, their equipment, and their computer modeling capability are substantially inadequate to the existing problems in our region. Immediate changes need to be made in the required responsibilities of the air quality protection program of each state such that monitoring and regulation of emissions at all gas and oil wells takes place.

The information developed should be reported promptly for public use, and this information should be reported in conjunction with water quality information and other data on the source(s) of atmospheric pollutants in a given area.

When possible, the measured parameters should be sufficient to identify and differentiate sources of pollution and to specify the possible dangers to the public health and welfare.

 14. The substantial increase in exploration and drilling for natural gas in our region has given rise to large and sometimes uncommon equipment and processes for natural gas recovery, processing, compression and transmission. Existing standards for protection of the public health as well as for the workplace should be reviewed both at the State and Federal level to ensure the public and the workplace health and safety are protected for both short and long term exposures. This should also apply to all natural gas drilling operations and
related activities of gas processing, compression and transmission. Where standards are not adequate or non-existent they should be revised or new ones developed and promulgated as appropriate. Public meetings should be held at the state and federal level to inform the public of the status of these matters as well as the plans and schedules to complete and implement this work.

15. Given that large quantities of polluted waters result from the coal, oil and gas  industries in this region, and that the release of these polluted waters generally contribute to the problems of high total dissolved solids (TDS) and other hazardous or undesirable contaminants in regional streams and rivers.  It is herewith resolved that the storage of waste water or waters with high total dissolved solids (TDS) or other polluted waters, for the purpose of subsequent release into public waterways, should be regulated to avoid adverse impacts (if not prohibited altogether) as a long-term solution to this serious problem.  Such storage and subsequent release of polluted waters has be justified, under certain circumstances and at times of high flow rates (for example), as a short term fix while feasible and practical long term solutions are developed and implemented.  When such short-term fixes are to be used, rigorous evaluations should be conducted and public meetings to review the specific plans and timelines should be held.

16.  The mine pools currently existing in northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania are numerous and contain large volumes of water.  And, such mine pools are generally increasing in number and continue to fill with water.  The water in these mine pools should be protected from contamination; that is, the pollution of these waters should be illegal, because these pools represent a potential source of useful water.  In addition, these waters will ultimately emerge as ground water or surface water and join local streams. It is resolved that the water currently existing in mine pools or in other such reservoirs be henceforth considered as a useful water resource, where ever and whenever this is feasible.  As such, the quality and quantity of such waters should be monitored, suitable uses noted, suitable withdrawal locations identified, and restrictions be place on any further contamination of such waters.