FEATURE
Highlights of the Draft Report from the Pennsylvania Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force Recommendations for Future Natural Gas Pipeline Development The shale
impacts, many transmission gas boom in lines inevitably Pennsylvania has cross precipitated a communities flurry of pipeline and traverse development sensitive activity. As areas such as natural gas farms, forests, production from mountains, and unconventional wetlands. wells has grown, Routing so too has pipelines the need for so as to be pipelines that cost-effective move the gas Laying pipelines in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Photo Courtesy of George Sheldon/Shutterstock.com but also from well to market. environmentallyOver the next several 2030 (The Nature Conservancy). friendly and years, Pennsylvania is expected to Given the magnitude of growth community-sensitive is often a see tremendous growth in its natural in the pipeline network, the potential complicated process. In addition gas pipeline network. Some experts for impacts to local communities and to engineering and designing the estimate that the number of miles of the natural landscape is great. While pipeline itself, companies must acquire pipeline in the Commonwealth could pipeline projects are typically designed to rights of way, easements, and other quadruple, growing from about 12,000 minimize community and environmental land rights for construction. miles today to about 48,000 miles in