Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Ecological Resources
Impacts on ecological resources would be proportional to the amount of surface
disturbance and habitat fragmentation. Vegetation and topsoil would be removed for
the development of well pads, access roads, pipelines, and other ancillary facilities.
This would lead to a loss of wildlife habitat, reduction in plant diversity, potential for
increased erosion, and potential for the introduction of invasive or noxious weeds.
The recovery of vegetation following interim and final reclamation would vary by
community (e.g., grasslands would recover before sagebrush or forest habitats).
Indirect impacts on vegetation would include increased deposition of dust, spread of
invasive and noxious weeds, and the increased potential for wildfires. Dust settling
on vegetation may alter or limit a plant's ability to photosynthesize or reproduce.
Over time, a composition of native and/or invasive vegetation would become estab-
lished in areas disturbed by wildfire. Although injection field development would
likely increase the spread of invasive and noxious weeds by increasing traffic and
human activity, the potential impacts could be partially reduced by interim reclama-
tion and implementation of mitigation measures. Adverse impacts on fish and wild-
life could occur during the drilling/construction phase due to
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Erosion and runoff
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Dust
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Noise
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Introduction and spread on invasive nonnative vegetation
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Modification, fragmentation, and reduction of habitat
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Mortality of biota
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Exposure to contaminants
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Interference with behavioral activities
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Increased harassment and/or poaching
Depletion of surface waters from perennial streams could result in a reduction of
water flow, which could lead to habitat loss and/or degradation of aquatic species.
Water Resources
Impacts on water resources could occur due to water quality degradation from
increases in turbidity, sedimentation, and salinity; spills; cross-aquifer mixing;
and water quantity depletion. During the drilling/construction phase, water would
be required for dust control, making concrete, consumptive use by the construc-
tion crew, and drilling wells. Depending on availability, it may be trucked in from
offsite or obtained from local groundwater wells or nearby surface water bodies.
Where surface waters are used to meet drilling and construction needs, depletion of
stream flows could occur. Drilling and well completion can require the use of drill-
ing fluids that could, if not managed properly, contaminate soils and surface water
features. Drilling activities may affect surface and groundwater flows. If a well is
completed improperly, such that subsurface formations are not sealed off by the well
casing and cement, aquifers can be impacted by other nonpotable formation waters.