ARIES in John R. Craynon, Ph.D., P.E., Director-Environmental Programs Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research

Transcription

1 ARIES in 2015 John R. Craynon, Ph.D., P.E., Director-Environmental Programs Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research Presented by: Dr. Emily Sarver

2 What is ARIES? A consortium of major research universities to address the environmental and community impacts of the discovery, development, production and use of energy resources in Appalachia Supported by industrial affiliates committed to the need for good science to ensure the long-term health of the environment and communities and the dissemination of the results for the benefit of all stakeholders Research conducted by a spectrum of world-class researchers whose work has been sponsored by federal and state agencies, environmental and community organizations and industry

3 Why ARIES? Mining, gas and energy sectors in Appalachia have been facing growing pressure to reduce their impacts on the environment and communities from regulators and the public There has been a dearth of published science addressing the upstream (mining, drilling and processing) and downstream (water, land, and air) environmental impacts of these industry sectors The energy resources of Appalachia are critical to the economies of the Appalachian states, as well as other states that rely on Appalachian energy

4 Why focus on Appalachia? Regional concentration of energy resources (coal, natural gas, etc.) Regional concentration of high-quality environment Historical regional association with poverty and diminished community well-being

5 Original Stated Goals of ARIES Conduct scientific inquiry and research Foster publications with emphasis on peerreviewed papers and contribute to the relevant published literature Engage in outreach efforts to share and disseminate research results to all stakeholders Research priorities were established based on discussions with the sponsors and the research team

6 Research strategy based on SD approaches A research strategy was chartered and approved for 2011 to 2016 ARIES is an open door initiative; companies and universities are encouraged to join Broad ARIES Research Areas Environmental Management Water Impacts Waste Management Zero-Impact Energy Production Community Development Economic Social Health

7 Who were the original ARIES sponsors? Alpha Natural Resources International Coal Group Massey Energy Natural Resource Partners TECO Coal Corporation Patriot Coal Corporation Cliffs Natural Resources Mepco Norfolk Southern CSX Corporation

8 Current ARIES Sponsors Alpha Natural Resources Arch Coal CSX Corporation Natural Resource Partners Norfolk Southern Patriot Coal Corporation TECO Coal Corporation

9 ARIES Research Partners Virginia Tech VCCER at VT is the managing entity for ARIES West Virginia University University of Kentucky Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University University of Pittsburgh Marshall University Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Consultants in Epidemiology & Occupational Health LLC (Georgetown & Johns Hopkins)

10 Selected ARIES Researcher Expertise Mining Engineering Civil Engineering Environmental Engineering Soil Science Hydrology Aquatic Ecology Wildlife and Fisheries Science Geology GIS and geography Epidemiology Environmental Toxicology Health Statistics Economics Sociology Biological Systems Engineering Forestry Water Management Physiology

11 ARIES Outcomes Over 60 faculty and researchers have been involved in the nearly 70 ARIES projects funded in the past 4 years Over 75 undergraduate and graduate students have been involved in ARIES research projects ARIES research has been carried out in over 30 academic departments in 11 institutions Over 80 peer-reviewed publications produced 25+ in conference proceedings 55+ in journals Additional 20+ in review ARIES has co-sponsored two conferences on Environmental Considerations in Energy Production April 2013 Charleston, WV September 2015 Pittsburgh, PA

12 What is special about ARIES? ARIES is multi-disciplinary, multi-university, multipriority ARIES is independent, researcher led peerreviewed science ARIES was created with private resources, and is built on cooperation and communication ARIES has developed a network of top-notch researchers to address the spectrum of issues ARIES includes the capability to address new problems quickly (given resources)

13 What are the current ARIES activities? Planning for ECEP 2015 symposium well underway Pittsburgh, PA, September 20-23, 2015 ARIES support for ASMR meeting Lexington, KY, June 2015 Pursuing new funding and research opportunities for Year 5 (and beyond?) Ensuring that lessons learned are creating opportunities for new and ongoing work Improving outreach and telling the story

14 ARIES Developments in 2014 ARIES graduate student researcher Eric Merriam at WVU received a Science to Achieve Results fellowship from EPA based in part on ARIES research ARIES research on economic effects of coal mining in Appalachia conducted by OSU cited in an article in the Washington Post ARIES-sponsored health research being published in leading medical journals and presented at high-level medical conferences (Birth Defects Research Part A, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American College of Epidemiology meeting, International ENTIS/OTIS Teratology Conference) Other ARIES research continuing to mature and to be published and considered by peer-reviewed journals (Journal of the American Water Resources Association; Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis; International Journal of Coal Science & Mining Engineering)

15 ARIES Status Update Fourth Year of research will end June 30, 2015 Expanded content on ARIES Website EMPHASIS AREAS Emphasis Area A: Stream Protection and Restoration Emphasis Area B: Materials characterization and handling Emphasis Area C: Water impacts of UG coal mining Emphasis Area D: Community and health impacts

16 Recent ARIES research results Findings from several ARIES projects have been recently completed These findings are in various stages of publication Residency in a county with surface coal mining is not a factor in low birth weights Dusts generated at surface coal mining sites contain few components that suggest contribution to health issues Salamander populations near coal mining sites seem to be impacted by land-disturbing and riparian vegetationdisturbing activities, not by mining per se Coal mining is not a predictor of diabetes-related mortality when other lifestyle factors are considered

17 New ARIES projects Several new projects have just been launched Evaluating water treatment technologies for reduction in TDS Determining the impacts of selenium and TDS on fish populations in mining-impacted watersheds Managing water to prevent contamination Determining the effectiveness of ecosystem reconstruction projects Examining the impacts of metals in mine discharge on human health

18 Potential New ARIES Research Areas Potential new research areas Energy transportation (e.g., pipelines, railroads, electrical transmission lines) Electrical generation and coal combustion byproducts Unconventional oil and gas Non-energy mining

19 Benefits of ARIES in new research areas Build on cadre of expert researchers and relevant research results Able to focus on sector-specific issues and concerns Capitalize on experience and results of project Community well-being and other issues cross industry sector lines and focus on regional wellbeing

20 Environmental Considerations in Energy Production Symposium 2015 To be held at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA - September 20-23, 2015 Peer-reviewed proceedings volume to be published by SME Focus on ARIES research and related work Additional technical focus areas Results in expanded field of energy and public health research Coal mining and health Dust and health Shale gas and health Environmental issues in gas production, coal combustion residual disposal, energy transportation (including pipelines, rail, etc.)

21 Contact Information John R. Craynon, Ph.D., P.E. Director-Environmental Programs Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research (0411) Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA (540) (540) cell (540) fax