Chapter 5 Threats
chemicals, and sand are pumped into a well to fracture rock. This allows oil and gas to flow more freely and increases production.
In recent years, the State of North Carolina has assessed existing rules and regulations to determine what changes are necessary to allow horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in our state. Rules and regulations from other states where oil and gas extraction involving horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has been occurring were also assessed. Potential impacts to wildlife from oil and gas extraction are numerous; they include water quality and water quantity impacts; terrestrial wildlife habitat fragmentation and conversion; increased sand mining; and increased road and utility corridors. Impacts can occur as a result of preparing land for oil and gas extraction, establishing travel and utility corridors, use of natural resources (primarily water and sand) for hydraulic fracturing, and handling and disposing of waste and byproducts. Additional impacts are possible from spills and unintentional discharges. Hydraulic fracturing typically requires 4–5 million gallons of water per well, spread out over several days. The oil and gas industry typically reuses the water-based fracking fluids to fracture additional wells until the fluid is no longer effective. Even so, there is a potential to impact streamflows, especially if water is withdrawn from small streams during low flow periods. Water withdrawn from impoundments or large rivers will have less impact to streamflows, particularly if the water is withdrawn during high-flow periods and the instantaneous withdrawal rate is low. Surface water quality could be impacted by accidental spills of fracking fluid and surface runoff from well pad sites. Fracking fluids typically contain a large mix of chemicals. Increased use and transport of fracking fluids increase the probability of an accidental spill or discharge that will impact surface waters. Once fracking fluids are no longer usable, they must be treated and disposed of properly. Water treatment plants are often not equipped to treat the chemicals found in fracking fluids. Underground disposal of fracking fluids can be problematic, and inadequate treatment of fracking fluids can impact receiving surface waters. Surface runoff from well pads can contain a mix of chemicals associated with oil and gas operations, including leaked fluids associated with the operation of heavy equipment. During large rain events, polluted runoff from a well site can impact surface waters if stormwater management practices are insufficient. While horizontal drilling allows operators to reach underground resources with fewer surface wells, impacts to wildlife habitat are likely as operators choose locations for well pad sites. Well pads are likely to be located away from houses and public properties; therefore, alterations to agricultural fields and forested areas are most likely. In addition to land conversion at the well pad, new roads may need to be constructed to access the well pad, and an infrastructure of pipelines may also be constructed to transport oil and gas products from the site. These new roads and utility corridors have the potential to fragment terrestrial habitat and impact streams and wetlands at crossings.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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