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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
USGS1979

The Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming : a preview to expanded coal-resource development and its impacts on regional water resources

Expanded coal production and conversion in the Yampa River basin , Colorado and Wyoming, may have substantial impacts on water resources, environmental amenities, and socioeconomic conditions. Preliminary results of a 3-year basin assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey are given for evaluation of surface- and ground-water resources using available data, modeling analysis of waste-load capacity of a Yampa River reach affected by municipal wastewater-treatment plant effluents, and semiquantitative descriptions of ambient air- and water-quality conditions. Aspects discussed are possible constraints on proposed development due to basin compacts and laws regulating water resources, possible changes in environmental-control regulations, and policies on energy-resource leasing and land use that will influence regional economic development. (Woodard-USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2018

Landscape-scale wildlife species richness metrics to inform wind and solar energy facility siting: An Arizona case study

The juxtaposition of wildlife and wind or solar energy facility infrastructure can present problems for developers, planners, policy makers, and management agencies. Guidance on siting of these renewable energy facilities may help identify potential wildlife-facility conflicts with species of regulatory or economic concern. However, existing spatial guidance usually does not consider all wildlife that might use a potential facility location or corridors for its servicing infrastructure. We illustrate an approach toward assessing potential wildlife-facility conflicts using readily available vertebrate habitat models. The U.S. Geological Survey's Gap Analysis Program (GAP) has developed spatial models of potential habitat for vertebrate species across the entire nation. To illustrate their applicability, we used GAP models to estimate richness of all native, terrestrial vertebrates within Arizona and for those vertebrates grouped by class or by sensitivity to the type of facility infrastructure. We examined the spatial overlap of high species richness of each group with agency-developed guidance used to inform facility-siting decisions and found that GAP-based richness mappings augmented existing guidance. As the GAP vertebrate habitat models are publicly available for the entire USA, use of these data can provide a coarse view of potential wildlife-facility conflicts and inform facility planning early in the process.

Arizona↗
USGS2007

Fly Ash: From Cradle to Grave

The Energy Resources Program of the U.S. Geological Survey promotes and supports coal research to improve the understanding of the coal endowment of the United States. This results in geologically based, non-biased energy information products for policy and decision makers, land and resource managers, other federal and state agencies, the domestic energy industry, foreign governments, nongovernmental groups, academia, and other scientists. A more integrated approach to our coal quality work involves what we call a 'cradle to grave' approach. These types of studies focus not on just one aspect of the coal but rather on how or where different quality parameters form and (or) occur and what happens to them through the mining, production, transport, utilization and waste disposal process. An extensive suite of coal quality analyses, mineralogical, petrology, and leaching investigations are determined on samples taken from the different phases of the coal utilization process. This report consists of a tutorial that was given on June 10, 2007 at the 32nd International Technical Conference on Coal Utilization & Fuel Systems, The Power of Coal, Clearwater Coal Conference in Clearwater, Florida, USA. This tutorial covers how these studies are conducted and the importance of providing improved, comprehensive, science-based data sets for policy and decision makers.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2011

Geochemical database of feed coal and coal combustion products (CCPs) from five power plants in the United States

The principal mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Energy Resources Program (ERP) is to (1) understand the processes critical to the formation, accumulation, occurrence, and alteration of geologically based energy resources; (2) conduct scientifically robust assessments of those resources; and (3) study the impacts of energy resource occurrence and (or) their production and use on both the environment and human health. The ERP promotes and supports research resulting in original, geology-based, non-biased energy information products for policy and decision makers, land and resource managers, other Federal and State agencies, the domestic energy industry, foreign governments, non-governmental groups, and academia. Investigations include research on the geology of oil, gas, and coal, and the impacts associated with energy resource occurrence, production, quality, and utilization. The ERP's focus on coal is to support investigations into current issues pertaining to coal production, beneficiation and (or) conversion, and the environmental impact of the coal combustion process and coal combustion products (CCPs). To accomplish these studies, the USGS combines its activities with other organizations to address domestic and international issues that relate to the development and use of energy resources.

Data Series↗
USGS2013

Updating Maryland's sea-level rise projections

With its 3,100 miles of tidal shoreline and low-lying rural and urban lands, “The Free State” is one of the most vulnerable to sea-level rise. Historically, Marylanders have long had to contend with rising water levels along its Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean and coastal bay shores. Shorelines eroded and low-relief lands and islands, some previously inhabited, were inundated. Prior to the 20th century, this was largely due to the slow sinking of the land since Earth’s crust is still adjusting to the melting of large masses of ice following the last glacial period. Over the 20th century, however, the rate of rise of the average level of tidal waters with respect to land, or relative sea-level rise, has increased, at least partially as a result of global warming. Moreover, the scientific evidence is compelling that Earth’s climate will continue to warm and its oceans will rise even more rapidly. Recognizing the scientific consensus around global climate change, the contribution of human activities to it, and the vulnerability of Maryland’s people, property, public investments, and natural resources, Governor Martin O’Malley established the Maryland Commission on Climate Change on April 20, 2007. The Commission produced a Plan of Action that included a comprehensive climate change impact assessment, a greenhouse gas reduction strategy, and strategies for reducing Maryland’s vulnerability to climate change. The Plan has led to landmark legislation to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and a variety of state policies designed to reduce energy consumption and promote adaptation to climate change.

Maryl↗
USGS1976

An environmental assessment of impacts of coal development on the water resources of the Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming; Phase I work plan

Coal resources of the western United States are being developed at ever-increasing rates, causing concerns of the effects of mining and associated activities on the environment. The Yampa River basin in northwestern Colorado and south-central Wyoming is undergoing economic development of its coal, oil and gas, and uranium resources. The Yampa River basin assessment is a 21-year program of the U.S. Geological Survey. It is designed primarily to assess the availability and quality of the basin's water resources. The basin assessment also will evaluate potential environmental and selected socioeconomic impacts of energy-resource development plans proposed by mining and power companies. This report serves as a project work plan for the basin assessment's first-phase work activities. Economic development in the Yampa River basin will result in higher levels of residuals (noneconomic byproducts) being discharged into the environment. Residuals-management encompasses the technological and economic interrelationships that should be considered in order to comply with Federal and State environmental-control regulations regarding air quality, water quality, and disposal of solid wastes. The basin assessment, the first phase that is described by this report, is designed to provide Federal, State, and local decision-makers with the basic environmental information needed to formulate and to evaluate policies for the development of energy resources. The techniques applied and conclusions reached in the Yampa River basin assessment should aid similar studies of other energy-rich basins in the western United States.

Colorado, Wyoming↗
USGS1976

An environmental assessment of impacts of coal development on the water resources of the Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming; Phase II work plan

Coal resources of the western United States are being developed at everincreasing rates, causing concerns of the effects of mining and associated activities on the environment. The Yampa River basin in northwestern Colorado and south-central Wyoming is undergoing economic development of its coal, oil and gas, and uranium resources. By 1990, the annual coal mining in the basin is expected to increase to 20 million tons (18 million tonnes), or more than 4 times the 1975 level. As a result, the regional population is expected to at least double over the same period. Power-generation plants fueled by coal are being expanded or constructed in the basin and will have a combined generating capacity of nearly 1,200 megawatts by 1980. The Yampa River Basin Assessment is a 2-year program of the U.S. Geological Survey. It is designed primarily to assess the availability and quality of the basin's water resources. The basin assessment also will evaluate potential environmental and selected socioeconomic impacts of energy-resource development plans proposed by mining and power companies. This report serves as a project work plan for the basin assessment. It describes the program objectives, and the various approaches of analysis and evaluation. Environmental studies are outlined for analyzing both the direct effects of various proposals regarding coal mining, transportation, and conversion, and the secondary effects resulting from increased population and urban growth. Economic development in the Yampa River basin will generate higher levels of residuals which are discharged into the environment. Residuals-management encompasses the technological and economic interrelationships that should be considered to comply with Federal and State environmental-control regulations regarding air quality, water quality, and disposal of solid wastes. The basin assessment described by this report is designed to provide Federal, State, and local decision-makers with the basic environmental information needed to formulate and to evaluate policies for the development of energy resources. The techniques applied and conclusions reached in the Yampa River Basin Assessment should aid similar studies in other energy-rich basins in the western United States.

Colorado, Wyoming↗
USGS2007

Net energy payback and CO2 emissions from three midwestern wind farms: An update

This paper updates a life-cycle net energy analysis and carbon dioxide emissions analysis of three Midwestern utility-scale wind systems. Both the Energy Payback Ratio (EPR) and CO2 analysis results provide useful data for policy discussions regarding an efficient and low-carbon energy mix. The EPR is the amount of electrical energy produced for the lifetime of the power plant divided by the total amount of energy required to procure and transport the materials, build, operate, and decommission the power plants. The CO2 analysis for each power plant was calculated from the life-cycle energy input data. A previous study also analyzed coal and nuclear fission power plants. At the time of that study, two of the three wind systems had less than a full year of generation data to project the life-cycle energy production. This study updates the analysis of three wind systems with an additional four to eight years of operating data. The EPR for the utility-scale wind systems ranges from a low of 11 for a two-turbine system in Wisconsin to 28 for a 143-turbine system in southwestern Minnesota. The EPR is 11 for coal, 25 for fission with gas centrifuge enriched uranium and 7 for gaseous diffusion enriched uranium. The normalized CO2 emissions, in tonnes of CO2 per GW eh, ranges from 14 to 33 for the wind systems, 974 for coal, and 10 and 34 for nuclear fission using gas centrifuge and gaseous diffusion enriched uranium, respectively. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007.

Natural Resources Research↗
USGS2014

Coal and petroleum resources in the Appalachian basin: distribution, geologic framework, and geochemical character

Fossil fuels from the Appalachian basin region have been major contributors to the Nation’s energy supplies over much of the last three centuries. Appalachian coal and petroleum resources are still available in sufficient quantities to contribute significantly to fulfilling the Nation’s energy needs. Although both conventional oil and gas continue to be produced in the Appalachian basin, most new wells in the region are drilled in shale reservoirs to produce natural gas. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Professional Paper 1708 is a modern, indepth collection of reports, cross sections, and maps that describe the geology of the Appalachian basin and its fossil fuel resources. This publication supplements and updates older USGS regional studies of Appalachian basin coal and petroleum resources. Some chapters are new, and several have been published in outside journals or as other USGS publications. Although this volume is not a comprehensive regional treatment of all notable geologic and fossil fuel localities in the Appalachian basin, the selected study areas and topics presented in the chapters pertain to large segments of the basin and a wide range of stratigraphic intervals. This volume discusses the locations of coal and petroleum accumulations, the stratigraphic and structural framework, and the geochemical characteristics of the coal beds and petroleum in the basin, as well as the results of recent USGS assessments of coal, oil, and gas resources in the basin. Many of the maps and accompanying data supporting the reports in this volume are available from chapter I.1 as downloadable geographic information system (GIS) data files about the characteristics of selected coal beds and oil and gas fields, locations of oil and gas wells, coal production, coal chemistry, total petroleum system (TPS) boundaries, and bedrock geology. Log ASCII Standard (LAS) files for geophysical (gamma ray) wireline well logs are included in other chapters. Professional Paper 1708 is intended primarily for geoscientists in academia, industry, and government who are interested in Appalachian basin geology and its coal and petroleum resources. Other users, however, may find the topics, papers, and digital images valuable for land-use and policy planning. Among the anticipated benefits of the report are improvements in (1) resource assessment estimates and methodology, (2) exploration strategies, (3) basin models, and (4) energy use policies.

Appalachian basin↗
USGS2007

Thermal properties of methane gas hydrates

Gas hydrates are crystalline solids in which molecules of a “guest” species occupy and stabilize cages formed by water molecules. Similar to ice in appearance (fig. 1), gas hydrates are stable at high pressures and temperatures above freezing (0°C). Methane is the most common naturally occurring hydrate guest species. Methane hydrates, also called simply “gas hydrates,” are extremely concentrated stores of methane and are found in shallow permafrost and continental margin sediments worldwide. Brought to sea-level conditions, methane hydrate breaks down and releases up to 160 times its own volume in methane gas. The methane stored in gas hydrates is of interest and concern to policy makers as a potential alternative energy resource and as a potent greenhouse gas that could be released from sediments to the atmosphere and ocean during global warming. In continental margin settings, methane release from gas hydrates also is a potential geohazard and could cause submarine landslides that endanger offshore infrastructure. Gas hydrate stability is sensitive to temperature changes. To understand methane release from gas hydrate, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a laboratory investigation of pure methane hydrate thermal properties at conditions relevant to accumulations of naturally occurring methane hydrate. Prior to this work, thermal properties for gas hydrates generally were measured on analog systems such as ice and non-methane hydrates or at temperatures below freezing; these conditions limit direct comparisons to methane hydrates in marine and permafrost sediment. Three thermal properties, defined succinctly by Briaud and Chaouch (1997), are estimated from the experiments described here: - Thermal conductivity , λ: if λ is high, heat travels easily through the material. - Thermal diffusivity , κ: if κ is high, it takes little time for the temperature to rise in the material. - Specific heat , c p : if c p is high, it takes a great deal of heat to raise the temperature of the material.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2019

Coal geology and assessment of resources and reserves in the Little Snake River Coal Field and Red Desert Assessment Area, Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming

The U.S. Geological Survey is studying regional-scale assessments of resources and reserves of primary coal beds in the major coal bed basins in the United States to help formulate policy for Federal, State, and local energy and land use. This report summarizes the geology and coal resources and reserves in the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert assessment area in the Greater Green River Basin, southwestern Wyoming. These areas are contiguous and referred to as the “assessment area” in this report. The assessment area covers about 2,300 square miles of the eastern section of the 15,400-square-mile Greater Green River Basin. This area was prioritized for assessment because no comprehensive resource assessment had previously been completed in the area; abundant, previously unavailable drill hole data from cooperators and stakeholders became available; and there are active coal mines in the Greater Green River Basin area producing from some of the same formations as those found in the assessment area. Coal-bearing Eocene, Paleocene, and Upper Cretaceous formations have a composite thickness of more than 11,000 feet in the assessment area. Stratigraphic sequences that contain multiple coal beds within a formation or member are referred to as coal zones in this report. Paleogene coal beds are found within coal zones in the Eocene Wasatch Formation and the Paleocene Fort Union Formation. Cretaceous coal beds are within coal zones in the Lance, Almond, and Allen Ridge Formations. A total of 4,214 drill holes and measured sections were used to construct a geologic database for this assessment. From these data, 7 coal zones containing 55 individual coal beds were identified. Not all 55 coal beds were assessed; only those beds that were at least 3 feet thick and had at least a 2-square-mile areal extent were considered. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated original, available, and recoverable coal resources for 33 coal beds that met those criteria. An original resource of 73.2 billion short tons of coal was calculated for the 33 coal beds that met the criteria in the assessment area. To be considered extractable by surface mining methods, coal beds had to be equal to or greater than 3 feet thick and less than 300 feet deep. Of the 73.2 billion short tons (BST), 19.3 BST were determined to be recoverable resources, of which approximately 2.1 BST were considered as recoverable resources by surface mining methods at a stripping ratio of 10:1 or less. (defined as recoverable resources for this assessment, based on economic modeling and regional mining analogs). Recoverable resources for underground mining methods (coal 8 to 15 feet thick and between 300 and 3,000 feet deep) totaled 17.2 BST. Out of the 19.3 BST assessed as recoverable coal resources, approximately 167 million short tons (MST) were considered to be reserves. Within the 7 coal zones, the Wasatch coal zone contains an original resource of about 6.8 BST billion short tons of coal, of which 2.6 BST are considered a recoverable resource and approximately 26.7 MST are considered reserves. The Overland coal zone, in the Fort Union Formation, contains an original resource of approximately 23 BST of coal, of which 8.4 BST are considered a recoverable resource and approximately 74 MST are considered reserves. The China Butte coal zone, in the Fort Union Formation, contains an original resource of 36.2 BST of coal, of which 6.3 BST are considered a recoverable resource and approximately 5.5 MST are considered reserves. The Almond coal zone, in the Almond Formation, contains an original resource of 7.0 BST, of which approximately 2.0 BST are considered a recoverable resource and 61 MST are considered reserves. Resources were not calculated for the coal zones within the Niland Tongue of the Wasatch Formation or the Cretaceous Lance and Allen Ridge Formations because the coal beds in those zones are relatively thin, discontinuous, and have a limited areal extent.

Wyoming↗
USGS1982

Geologic estimates and future costs of strip mining coal

Geologic coal-resource appraisals, which typically describe the location and general characteristics of coalbeds, do not generally provide enough information to estimate the cost of developing the resource or to predict the escalation of costs expected to result from physical depletion. This paper considers the nature of data and methods of appraisal required to provide this cost information to policymakers. Illinois is used as a prototype area for analysis because of its long history of coal mining and its demonstrated coal reserve base of strippable coal that exceeds all but two of the States in the United States. Evidence of gradual depletion of Illinois strippable coal reserves is provided by declining labor productivity, decreasing average mine size, and increasing overburden depth. The procedures used to estimate the costs of mining remaining deposits indicate that the physical characteristics that will affect mining costs most significantly are depth of overburden, thickness of coal seam, and areal extent of coal of the minable reserve blocks. Findings presented here provide guidelines for the collection of economic and geologic data in order to improve coal appraisals, particularly those currently in progress in the Western United States.

Energy Systems and Policy↗
USGS2017

Using science to inform management and improve biological conservation in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan

The Mojave and Colorado deserts of southern California have been viewed as vast wilderness since early exploration and, until recently, were considered the most untrammeled among western landscapes in the contiguous lower 48 states (United States Department of Agriculture 1893; Leu et al. 2008). However, the factors that define desert wilderness—small human population, temperature differentials that create unrelenting winds, low rainfall, and cloudless skies—are attractive for renewable energy development. The demand for clean, renewable energy is a national and regional priority and has increased demand for large-scale solar and wind farms in the deserts, particularly in California. The need to balance these national and state energy priorities with existing natural resource and land conservation policies has emerged as a landscape-scale land-use planning initiative known as the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP). One of the primary goals for the DRECP was to establish Development Focus Areas (DFAs) where high-quality renewable energy potential of up to 20 gigawatts (GW) could be implemented by the year 2040. DFAs were designed to provide expedited project approvals in locations where environmental impacts could be managed and mitigated, and proximity to transmission corridors provides for the efficient dissemination of energy to users. The DRECP also aims to identify protections for natural resources, recreation, and cultural resources. This plan identifies 37 covered species that receive special consideration in the DRECP. Among the special considerations are climate adaptation requirements, such as the ability to maintain population connectivity through wildlife corridors, while protecting several special recreation areas and 32,000 known cultural sites that are dispersed throughout the region. We evaluated several particular aspects of the DRECP design and process. In particular, we examined land designations in relation to published studies on Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) habitat and genetic diversity patterns of a suite of broadly distributed desert animal species. The squirrel and its habitat are of particular interest because the entire range of the squirrel is encompassed by the DRECP. We describe the framework of the DRECP, provide a case study of how the DRECP accommodates the needs of the Mohave ground squirrel and its habitat, illustrate DFAs in relation to the genetic diversity of a broad range of terrestrial biota, and conclude with some observations on how land-use issues were resolved across the landscape under various scenarios.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2014

Executive summary

Fossil fuels from the Appalachian basin region have been major contributors to the Nation’s energy needs over much of the last three centuries. Early records indicate that Appalachian coal was first mined in the middle 1700s (Virginia and Pennsylvania) and was used sparingly to fuel colonial settlements and, later, a fledgling industrial-based economy along the eastern seaboard of the United States (de Witt and Milici, 1989). In 2011, central Appalachian basin coal production accounted for approximately 77 percent of all U.S. metallurgical (or coking) coal and 29 percent of total U.S. production (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2013). Following initial discoveries and commercial use in western New York (1821) and Ohio and West Virginia (mid-1830s), the Appalachian petroleum (oil and gas) industry began in earnest in 1859 with the discovery of oil at the Drake well in northwestern Pennsylvania. Between 1860 and 1989, the Appalachian basin produced more than 2.5 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and more than 30 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCFG) from more than 500,000 wells (de Witt and Milici, 1989). Although both oil and gas continue to be produced in the Appalachian basin, most new wells in the region are drilled in shale reservoirs to produce natural gas. Appalachian coal and petroleum resources are still available in sufficient quantities to contribute significantly to the Nation’s energy needs. For example, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (2010) estimated that there are 6,484 million short tons of recoverable coal reserves in the Appalachian basin. Similarly, about 14.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BBOE) (1.2 BBO+81 TCFG [or 13.5 BBOE]) of recoverable Appalachian basin oil and gas remain available of an estimated ultimate endowment of approximately 25.5 billion BBOE (cumulative production + reserves + estimated recoverable undiscovered resources) (this volume, chap. C.1). U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Professional Paper 1708 is a modern, indepth collection of reports, cross sections, and maps that describe the geology of the Appalachian basin and its fossil fuel resources. Several of the chapters have been published in outside journals or as other USGS publications. Although this volume is not a comprehensive regional treatment of all notable geologic and fossil fuel localities in the Appalachian basin, the selected study areas and topics presented in the chapters cover large segments of the basin and a wide range of stratigraphic intervals. As the title implies, this volume addresses topics that refer to the locations of coal and petroleum accumulations, the stratigraphic and structural framework, and the geochemical characteristics of the coal beds and petroleum in the basin, as well as the results and documentation of recent USGS assessments of coal, oil, and gas resources in the basin. Many of the maps and accompanying data supporting the reports in this volume are available as downloadable geographic information system (GIS) data files (such as selected coal beds, selected oil and gas fields, locations of oil and gas wells, coal production, coal chemistry, total petroleum system (TPS) boundaries, and bedrock geology). Log ASCII Standard (LAS) files for geophysical (gamma ray) wireline well logs also are included. This publication supplements and updates older USGS regional studies of Appalachian basin coal and petroleum resources such as those by Arndt and others (1968) and the numerous contributors to USGS Miscellaneous Map Series I−917 (for example, Harris and others, 1978), respectively. USGS Professional Paper 1708 is intended primarily for geoscientists in academia, industry, and government who are interested in Appalachian basin geology and its coal and petroleum resources. Other users, however, may find the wide variety of topics, papers, and digital images of value for landuse and policy planning issues. Among the anticipated benefits of the report are improvements in (1) resource assessment estimates and methodology, (2) exploration strategies, (3) basin models, and (4) energy use policies.

Appalachian Basin↗
USGS2010

Byproduct mineral commodities used for the production of photovoltaic cells

Rising fossil fuel costs, environmental concerns relating to global climate change, and Government policy to signifcantly increase our Nation's energy independence have placed greater emphasis on the generation of electricity from renewable sources, such as the Sun (light and heat), water, and wind, which for all intents and purposes are inexhaustible resources. Although the total amount of electricity generated from the direct conversion of sunlight through photovoltaic cells is relatively small compared with that from other forms of renewable energy, the rate of growth in the sector is signifcant. The total value of energy of photovoltaic cells produced worldwide increased to nearly 7 gigawatts (GW) in 2008 from 45 megawatts (MW) in 1990, a compound annual growth rate of about 30 percent. In the United States, manufacturing of photovoltaic cells has grown exponentially to about 480 MW in 2008, accounting for 6 percent of world production, from less than 10 MW of photovoltaic capacity in 1990 (Benner, 2007; U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2010), a compound annual growth rate of approxi-mately 23 percent. A production capacity of 1 GW of electricity [or 8,760 gigawatthours1 (GWh)] is equivalent to the annual electricity requirements for roughly 800,000 average households in the United States (U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2010). This estimate does not include losses of electricity, such as during transmission through power lines.

Circular↗
USGS1978

Geologic conditions in the Baltimore Canyon Trough area: A summary of U.S.G.S. second-year environment studies

Geologic studies of the outer Continental Shelf off the Middle Atlantic States (Baltimore Canyon Trough Area) have been carried out for two years to assess conditions and hazards which might cause or distribute oil spills and other potential pollution associated with petroleum exploration and development. These detailed investigations were requested and funded by the Bureau of Land Management to carry out its responsibility under the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (67 Stat 462) of 1953 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Because of the energy crisis, these studies had to be mounted quickly so that a substantial body of data would be available for making decisions concerning environmental constraints on potential lease tracts. Indeed, pertinent data were available prior to Lease Sale #40 in the Middle Atlantic in August 1976. This was in part due to the alacrity of BLM's Environmental Division management, and in part due to the depth of USGS' experience in the area. For example, geophysical data and bottom samples had been collected since 1962 as part of the Geological Survey's role to "conduct geological and geophysical exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf" (43 U.S.C. 1340). At the advent of the energy crisis, the Atlantic-Gulf Coast Branch focused in-house resources and environmental assessment efforts on the Middle Atlantic OCS area. Thus, considerable information was available to guide the needed detailed studies.

Baltimore Canyon Trough area↗
USGS2017

Sustainability of utility-scale solar energy – critical ecological concepts

Renewable energy development is an arena where ecological, political, and socioeconomic values collide. Advances in renewable energy will incur steep environmental costs to landscapes in which facilities are constructed and operated. Scientists – including those from academia, industry, and government agencies – have only recently begun to quantify trade-offs in this arena, often using ground-mounted, utility-scale solar energy facilities (USSE, ≥1 megawatt) as a model. Here, we discuss five critical ecological concepts applicable to the development of more sustainable USSE with benefits over fossil-fuel-generated energy: (1) more sustainable USSE development requires careful evaluation of trade-offs between land, energy, and ecology; (2) species responses to habitat modification by USSE vary; (3) cumulative and large-scale ecological impacts are complex and challenging to mitigate; (4) USSE development affects different types of ecosystems and requires customized design and management strategies; and (5) long-term ecological consequences associated with USSE sites must be carefully considered. These critical concepts provide a framework for reducing adverse environmental impacts, informing policy to establish and address conservation priorities, and improving energy production sustainability.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment↗