Shale firms, federal agency go to bat for bats
The shale oil and gas industry has a number of proponents. Bats probably are not among them.
A number of bat species are diminished or endangered, and their habitats could face further threats from energy exploration and production and pipeline installation. That’s why 10 oil and gas companies are requesting an incidental “take” permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service related to operations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.
The coalition is cobbling together a habitat conservation plan – to avoid, limit and offset the effects on bats – while the USFW develops an environmental impact statement before making a decision on a 50-year permit.
“We’re in the very earliest stages of this process,” said Meagan Racey, public affairs specialist for the service.
These initial stages include public meetings, organized by the Fish and Wildlife Service, to collect input that will help shape the impact statement. USFW is holding five meetings this week across the three states. The first was conducted, appropriately, in shale-gas-rich Washington County.
About 15 people were on hand at Chartiers Township Community Center Monday evening. The audience included local residents, representatives of coalition firms and other oil and gas companies, and a few from consulting firms.
Pamela Shellenberger of the USFW’s Pennsylvania field office and David Young of WEST Inc. handled the presentation. Young is working with the coalition on the habitat conservation plan.
The other sessions were scheduled for Cambridge, Ohio (Tuesday); Charleston, W.Va. (Wednesday); Clarksburg, W.Va. (Thursday); and Williamsport (Friday).
The Fish and Wildlife Service also will have a public meeting by webinar at 6 p.m. Dec. 20.
The conservation plan relates to five bat species: Indiana bat (endangered), northern long-eared bat (threatened), little brown bat, eastern small-footed bat and tri-colored bat.
The shale firms are Antero Resources; Ascent Resources; Chesapeake Energy; EnLink Midstream; EQT; MarkWest Energy Partners; MPLX L.P and Marathon Petroleum; Rice Energy; Southwestern Energy; and Williams Companies.
Representatives of Bat Conservation International and the Pittsburgh office of the Sierra Club could not be immediately reached for comment.
For more information, visit fws.gov/northeast/ecologicalservices/hcp/oghcp.html.