Many communities are experiencing new development activity where there has been no concentrated oil and natural gas development in the past. Some more common complaints involve traffic and noise. The oil and natural gas industry has a long history of promoting good neighbor policies, and it is important given the expansion into new areas that companies always provide for protection of public safety and the environment and respect for the rights of others.
Regarding traffic drilling companies work with local authorities and citizens to develop a plan to reduce traffic impacts. Some ways to reduce road snarls include:
- route selection to maximize efficient driving and public safety;
- avoidance of peak traffic hours, school bus hours, community events and overnight quiet periods;
- coordination with local emergency management agencies and highway departments;
- upgrades and improvements to roads that will be traveled frequently;
- advance public notice of any necessary detours or road/lane closures; and
- adequate off-road parking and delivery areas at the site to avoid lane/road blockage.
Development also brings with it a tremendous amount of activity, which can be noisy. Fortunately proper operations can help to mitigate this. Noise is best mitigated by distance—the further from receptors, the lower the impact. The second level of noise mitigation is direction. Directing noise-generating equipment away from receptors greatly reduces associated impacts. Timing also plays a key role in mitigating noise impacts. Scheduling the more significant noise-generating operations during daylight hours provides for tolerance that may not be achievable during the evening hours. Hydraulic fracturing operations should be planned with these noise-related considerations in the forefront.