Defense Date

2-22-2013

Graduation Date

2013

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

thesis

Degree Name

MA

Department

Graduate Center for Social and Public Policy

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Kent Moors

Committee Member

Moni McIntyre

Keywords

Barnett Shale, Energy policy, Marcellus Shale, Natural gas, Road infrastructure, Water usage

Abstract

The relationship between shale gas development and budgetary and microeconomic externalities was studied. The extraction activity in the Barnett shaleformation provided a case study for assessing per-well highway infrastructure damage and water usage. The creation of a predictive model based upon the Barnett was applied to the Marcellus formation. The results showed support for the hypothesis that shale gas development creates negative externalities that amount to unfunded mandates and freerider problems for states and localities. Implications and policy solutions, including the case for a Pennsylvania natural gas fund, are discussed.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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