The expanding use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology to produce oil and gas from tight rock formations has increased public concern about potential impacts on the environment, especially on shallow drinking water aquifers. In eastern Kentucky, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have been used to develop the Berea Sandstone and the Rogersville Shale. To assess baseline groundwater chemistry and evaluate methane detected in groundwater overlying the Berea and Rogersville plays, we sampled 51 water wells and analyzed the samples for concentrations of major cations and anions, metals, dissolved methane, and other light hydrocarbon gases. In addition, the stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic composition of methane (δ C-CH and δ H-CH ) was analyzed for samples with methane concentration exceeding 1 mg/L. Our study indicates that methane is a relatively common constituent in shallow groundwater in eastern Kentucky, where methane was detected in 78% of the sampled wells (40 of 51 wells) with 51% of wells (26 of 51 wells) exhibiting methane concentrations above 1 mg/L. The δ C-CH and δ H-CH ranged from -84.0‰ to -58.3‰ and from -246.5‰ to -146.0‰, respectively. Isotopic analysis indicated that dissolved methane was primarily microbial in origin formed through CO reduction pathway. Results from this study provide a first assessment of methane in the shallow aquifers in the Berea and Rogersville play areas and can be used as a reference to evaluate potential impacts of future horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing activities on groundwater quality in the region.

To determine the rate of cover-collapse sinkhole formation in Christian County, Kentucky, we used large scale aerial photographs taken nearly twenty years apart. The negatives were enlarged and printed to 1:3,000 scale and examined for collapses. The photographs constrained the time period within which the collapse could have occurred, and the large scale of the prints provided a means to identify, locate, and field-verify the cover collapses. All features noted on the photographs were checked in the field. Sinkholes seen on the later photographs, but not the earlier ones, were recorded. The rate of formation calculated was 0.2 cover-collapse km 22 yr 21 .

The paper describes the work of the Strategic Environmental Assessment in the Trans-Pennine Corridor undertaken for the Regions in Partnership Steering Group in 1998–89.The study had two purposes: (a) to contribute to the developing body of knowledge on best practice on strategic environmental assessment designed to assess improvements to the European Commission's Trans-European Transport Networks; and (b) a multi-modal land-use and transport study designed to lead to a preferred environmental and development strategy for the Trans-Pennine corridor. The study was intended to be strategic, both in its identification of options and in its assessment of impacts. It was to look forward over a 25-year planning period, and the focus was to be on long-distance movements and the interactions between these and local movements. The paper explains the study process. The objectives of the environmental and development strategy are set out, and the appraisal framework outlined. The three key appraisal tools—the transport model, the land-use model, and the geographic information system—are then explained. The forecasts of travel demand for the year 2021 are next presented. These forecasts form the basis for the development and appraisal of ten land-use, environmental and transport options. The paper briefly describes the options, and presents results in terms of impacts on travel, land-use and the environment. While the study successfully demonstrated a methodology for strategic environmental assessment, further work on the land-use and transport strategy is required before firm conclusions can be drawn and the broad outline strategy can be converted into specific policies or plans. Nevertheless, the results presented here show a promising approach to developing an environmental and development strategy for the corridor within the policy framework provided by the Government's Integrated Transport Policy.

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