Pennsylvania Unconventional Oil and Gas Development Contributes to Road Repair Costs in Surrounding States’ Counties

In a new study published in the Journal of Environmental Management, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions’ Lauren Patterson and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Kelly Maloney report that transportation of waste associated with the development of unconventional oil and gas in Pennsylvania increases the cost of road repairs not only in Pennsylvania but in counties in the surrounding states of West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and New York. Between July 2010 and December 2013, the estimated cost to repair roads damaged by trucks transporting unconventional oil and gas waste ranged from $3 million to $18 million. Although the majority of these costs were concentrated in Pennsylvania (79 percent), Ohio counties absorbed some of them (16 percent). 

What need was there for this work?

Unconventional oil and gas activity has increased rapidly in Pennsylvania since 2008, putting a big strain on the state’s pre-existing infrastructure, including roads, but there are few data on the cost of that strain. Unlike many other states involved in unconventional oil and gas extraction, Pennsylvania cannot dispose of wastewaters in injection wells because of its geology. When that wastewater is not recycled for reuse, operators must transport it from wells to disposal facilities that are sometimes out of state. The rapid growth of unconventional oil and gas wells has increased the amount of waste materials and truck traffic on roads that were not designed for such volumes. Some studies have estimated the cost to roads on the number of truck trips and the distance between wells, but our study provides a comprehensive estimate of the costs to road infrastructure at the county level in Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

What is unique about your research on road repair costs associated with transportation of wastewater?

Our work uses data on wastewater volume, origin, and destination to find the actual costs to different road types within counties in Pennsylvania and the surrounding states of West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and New York. Local roads experienced the greatest amount of truck traffic and associated costs, anywhere from $1.1 million to $6.5 million, and the highest costs were concentrated in Pennsylvania. Interstates in the six states faired far better, with costs of $0.3 million to $1.6 million from July 2010 to December 2013. Counties, particularly those that don’t have wells or disposal facilities, should be aware of the potential impacts to their roads even if they are located outside areas of active unconventional oil and gas development.

Currently, Pennsylvania’s Act 13 provides funds to local governments with active unconventional oil and gas activity to address some of the infrastructure impacts. Those counties without unconventional oil and gas activity do not have direct access to those funds even though their roads are being impacted by waste transport.

How can this breakdown of impacts to roads at the county level be used?

The study’s approach could be adjusted to calculate potential unconventional oil and gas related road repair costs beyond the county level—examining impacts to cities, townships, and other municipalities owning roads. This information could also be used to inform decisions about how to reduce these impacts or at least to plan for their associated costs.

What do your results suggest for future research?

Operators don’t always ship their waste to the nearest landfill or injection well, but we don’t know why that is the case—what drives the shipping decision process? Additional research could analyze shipping data from other states to better understand why wells don’t minimize travel distance to reduce the risk of spills and damage to communities and ecosystems along the route.
 

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The study authors are available for comment by contacting Erin McKenzie, erin.mckenzie@duke.edu or 919.613.3652. To read the full study and view an interactive graphic of the data, visit the Nicholas Institute website.