Jeffrey B. Jacquet

Review of risks to communities from shale energy development.

Although shale energy development can bring infusions of money and jobs to local communities, an array of risks to community-level assets and institutions is also possible. Sociological research dating back to the 1970s links rapid oil and gas development with overburdened municipal services, upended social and cultural patterns, and volatile economic growth. Research on technological risk has demonstrated communities can come to be associated with pollution and contamination, resulting in out-migration, declining amenity-led development, and decreased financial investment. Emerging shale energy case studies in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, and Texas show a similar, although nuanced, picture of these concerns. Yet, little data exists on the prevalence or magnitude of these risks in the current context of shale gas development. The existing research has largely remained case-based in nature, has not been synthesized across various disciplines, and has not been updated to account for various social and technological trends that have occurred since its publication. This paper offers a critical review of major research endeavors that inform our knowledge of risk to communities from shale energy development, while identifying gaps in our understanding of these risks and areas of research need.

The risk of social-psychological disruption as an impact of energy development and environmental change

Environmental psychologists and sociologists examining community acceptance of energy development have recently argued that disruption to social-psychological values such as attachment and community- and place-based identity may drive oppositional behaviour to large land use changes. This review supports and expands this argument by showing that social and psychological disruption has been documented throughout sometimes disparate academic literatures as among the most troublesome aspects of large development projects. This collection of literature demonstrates the threat of disruption to place-based identities may spur oppositional behaviour in many cases. In addition, some of these studies have shown that social actors may attempt to influence residents’ perception of these social-psychological risks by framing the effects of development as either congruent or incongruent with certain place and community-based identities. We further discuss the field of risk analysis and its relationship to opposition to land use planning, and argue that that the tools of risk analysis can be used to measure and predict these types of disruptions to social-psychological values.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: Marcellus Shale Gas Development and New Boomtown Research: Views of New York and Pennsylvania Residents

Development of unconventional natural gas resources in the Marcellus Shale region of the northeastern United States has progressed rapidly over the last decade. The discourse surrounding such development recalls quarter-century-old debates about positive and negative implications for the well-being of such energy boomtowns. Potential support or opposition relates to trust in the industry and its regulators, perceived knowledge, and perceived impacts. Our research project takes advantage of the opportunity for a natural experiment in comparing these elements between two spatially adjacent sites with contrasting approaches to gas development: in Pennsylvania, drilling of unconventional natural gas reserves has been proceeding for nearly a decade, whereas, at the time of this writing, drilling has not begun in New York. A mail survey of a random sample of New York and Pennsylvania residents within the Marcellus region revealed important differences between sites. New York residents were more opposed to development, characterized the industry in a more negative light, and were more likely to have engaged in various forms of public participation. In contrast, respondents did not differ by state on their perceived level of knowledge, even though gas development is more advanced in Pennsylvania. Potential explanations for these findings are offered, as are implications for understanding newly emerging energy boomtowns.

RESEARCH ARTICLE: Risk Perceptions of Natural Gas Development in the Marcellus Shale

Exploration and extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale have created considerable controversy. At the core of these debates are differing perceptions of the level and types of risks involved with the extraction activities, such as hydraulic fracturing, truck traffic, air emissions, and population growth. Risks described include the potential for human and environmental health implications, as well as community change and economic gain. This article explores the nature of perceived risks associated with Marcellus Shale development by using data from a household survey (N = 1,917) conducted in 2009–10 in Pennsylvania and New York counties located in the core areas of the Marcellus Shale region. The article describes a quantitative measure of risk perceptions. Statistical analyses of the data indicate that trust in institutions responsible for managing the risks associated with development and attitudes related to relationships between people and nature are associated strongly with perceptions of risk. Other associated variables include reported knowledge of environmental, social, and economic impacts, mineral rights ownership, demographic characteristics (gender, income), and state of residence. Implications of these findings are discussed, particularly as related to improving local discourse surrounding Marcellus Shale development.

The Rise of “Private Participation” in the Planning of Energy Projects in the Rural United States

Public participation in local planning decisions is widely advocated as an important component of democratic decision making. It is linked to a number of positive outcomes, including increased resident satisfaction and more effective decision making. In the realm of energy development, many local governments lack regulatory control and thus lack a venue for public participation in this type of land-use decision. Private landowners are increasingly afforded the ability to participate in the planning and siting of these energy developments though contractual land leasing negotiations. Even as this form of participation becomes widespread, it occurs outside of the public sphere and challenges the traditional notions of participation in land use decisions. This article introduces the concept of “private participation” and provides results of a mail survey (n = 1,028) that reveal that such participation appears to increase landowner perceptions of control and information access, and ultimately positive attitudes toward the developments.

Life in the Goldilocks Zone: Perceptions of Place Disruption on the Periphery of the Bakken Shale

ABSTRACT Community impacts from oil development in the Bakken Shale, located in the north central region of the United States, have been well reported in the press, including highly publicized accounts of social disruption. Less examined are communities on the periphery of such development, which experience related impacts unique to their location. Twenty-eight long-time residents from three Bakken periphery communities were interviewed to evaluate social and environmental impact perceptions, including perceived risks of place disruption. Findings suggest that whereas place meanings and identities were disrupted by the oil boom in Bakken core communities, they remain intact in these periphery communities. Findings further suggest periphery residents view their proximal location to the Bakken region as a social and economic “Goldilocks Zone:” close enough to benefit from spillover economic impacts, yet far enough away to avoid serious negative social impacts. This research extends understanding of place disruption and development impacts in energy periphery communities.