Groundwater Quality and Unconventional Gas Development
Groundwater Quality and Unconventional Gas Development
Presented on Tuesday, March 17, 2015
As advances and greater use of horizontal wells and hydraulic fracturing technology has expanded natural gas and oil supplies, concerns have been raised about the possibility for contamination of shallow groundwater by stray gases, formation waters, and chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. In November 2014, the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) held a conference titled, “Groundwater Quality and Unconventional Gas Development: Is There a Connection?” The purpose of the conference was to bring together groundwater and other professionals to discuss sampling, monitoring, and research approaches to evaluate the connection of shallow groundwater quality and unconventional gas development. This paper presents a summary of these discussions and opportunity for a dialog on the next steps by NGWA.
William Alley, Ph.D.
NGWA, Leesburg, VA
Dr. William M. Alley is Director of Science and Technology for the National Ground Water Association. Previously, he served as Chief, Office of Groundwater for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for almost two decades. Dr. Alley has published over 100 scientific publications, and most recently co-authored with his wife, Rosemarie, High and Dry: Meeting the Challenges of the World’s Growing Dependence on Groundwater. Among other awards, Dr. Alley received the USGS Shoemaker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Communication and the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award. He holds a B.S. in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, an M.S. in Hydrogeology from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University.
