Data -> Insights -> Monetization

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Very proud of Krisangi for completing her 8 weeks internship @ University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. She is a role model on converting data to meaningful insights and subsequently monetizing it!!! 

Here is s brief summary: 

An Analysis of the Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing on Watersheds in Pennsylvania 

Teen Research and Education in Environmental Sciences (TREES), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Introduction: Chemical by-products from the hydraulic fracturing industry are known to contaminate bodies of water, often putting human health at risk. To prevent this issue, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) enacted legislation, which required all hydraulic fracturing sites to be more than 1,000 feet away from a waterbody. However, during rain events, these chemicals can be washed downstream and travel more than 1,000 feet, finding their way into distant waterways. This chemical accumulation may negatively affect the environment and integrity of our public drinking water. 

Methods: ESRI’s ArcGIS, computer software used for analyzing geographical and spatial data and geographic layers from PASDA, PADOH, and OpenDataPhilly. Locations of all the hydraulic fracturing wells in Pennsylvania (PA) were geocoded over areal layers of the Delaware and Susquehanna watersheds, and the county-level layer of Pennsylvania. Spatial analyst tools such as Hydrology Fill and Flow Direction/Accumulation tools in ArcGIS were used to analyze elevation data and assess the risk of chemical drainage into bodies of water via watersheds and tributaries. In order to make this more efficient and automated, Robotic Process Automation Bot was built to automate the Hydrology Fill, Flow Direction, and Flow Accumulation step. This bot was created using ArcGIS Model Builder, and Python was leveraged while creating this model.

Results: Forty-eight (48) hydraulic fracturing sites are at risk for contaminating water with dangerous chemicals as they are located at or less than 1,000 feet.

Discussion/ Next Steps: 

1. The 48 hydraulic fracturing sites listed are at risk for contaminating streams or places with low elevation. 
2. They have an unknown ecological and human health effect. 
3. They are at risk for violating state laws. 

Oil and Gas Extraction companies could use this information to determine whether their site is truly contaminating these low points, and make any necessary adjustments to prevent this. 

Oil and Gas Extraction Companies’ Onsite Employees could use this information to ensure their safety, and inform their employers about the risk. 

Communities and Local Townships could benefit from this information, and assess the risk of their tap water being contaminated. 

Healthcare professionals can explore which communities are being exposed to potentially hazardous chemicals.  

Home Owners can utilize a user-friendly interface to input property’s coordinates and see if their local stream is at-risk for being contaminated by hydraulic fracturing chemicals. 

Acknowledgments:

This project would not have been possible without Jeffery Field, Ph.D., Kathleen Bisson, Arden Benner, and Thomas McKeon. THANK YOU.

#GretaThunberg #STEM #environment #nature #climatechange #sustainability #ecofriendly #savetheplanet #green #earth #sustainable #globalwarming #water #pollution #climate #health #savetheearth #environmentallyfriendly #savewater #TREES #UPENN #Fracking