Potential Impacts of Natural Gas Pipeline Construction and Operation on Land/Soil Quality in South Eastern Nigeria
1 Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
* Corresponding author: iusorimoloye@gmail.com
* Corresponding author: iusorimoloye@gmail.com
Abstract
The quest to make available, cheaper, cleaner, more efficient and more reliable sources of energy and feedstock for industrial and domestic uses,in Aba Owerrinta axis of Abia State, Southeastern Nigeria in a developmental process cannot be over emphasized. This has necessitated the construction and installation of a 12” diameter natural gas pipeline with a l00 m wide right of way for a distance of 26 km by Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG). Though natural gas is a more environmental friendly fuel than other fossil fuels, the construction, installation and operation of the pipeline will invariably have impacts on the land/soil environment. Hence,the importance of an assessment of the envisaged impacts of the various stages of the gas project on the land/soil quality among other factors, against which the efficiency of the environmental management plan can be measured in the future. The identified soil types were classified as Inceptisols and Ultisols (Soil Taxonomy) and Fluvisols and Nitosols (WRB). The major potential impacts identified include loss of topsoil,modification of overland drainage pattern, accelerated erosion, land contamination and quality impairment through increased industrial activities and discharge of waste water and gaseous effluents and alteration in land use pattern. Mitigation measures suggested include, limiting of land clearing to required area, re-vegetation and proper disposal of wastes, among others.
Keywords
construction
potential
operation
pipeline
References
- Anderson, J. M. and J. S. I. Ingram (1993). Tropical Bology and Fertility. A handbook of methods 2nd Edition. 219pp
- Canter, L.W. (1996). Environmental Impact Assessment, Second ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.
- FAO (1990). Guidelines for Soil Description. 31(1 edition (revised). Soil Resources Management and Conservation Service, Land and Water Division, FAO, Rome
- FAO/IUSS (2006). World Reference Base for Soil resources. 2nd edition, World Soil Resources Reports No 103. FAO, Rome
- Helmut, K. (1968). Soil Physics. TMH edition. Pp 92-99
- Jay, S., Jones, C., Slinn, P. and Wood, C. (2007). Environmental Impact Assessment: Retrospect and prospect. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 27: 287—300
- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1981). The Analysis of Agricultural Materials. 2nd Edition. London. Her Majesty's stationery office.
- Moss, R. P. (1975). Report on the classification of the soils found over sedimentary rocks in Western Nigeria. Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Moor Plantation, Ibadan. Pp. 37
- Payraudeau, S. and van der Werf, H.M.G. (2005) Environmental impact assessment for a farming region: a review of methods. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 107: 1—19
- Smith, C.G., McDonald, G.T. and Thwaites, R. N. (2000). TIM: assessing the sustainability of agricultural land management. Journal of Environmental Management. 60: 267—28 8
- Soil Survey Staff, (2003). Keys to Soil Taxonomy. (9th Edition), United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Service.
- Thomas, 1. (2001). Environmental Impact Assessment in Australia: Theory and Practice (3 Edition). The Federation Press. Pp 12
- United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) (2006). Niger Delta human development report. UNEP, Nigeria. 229 pp.
- United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) (2011). The Ogoni Environmental Appraisal (OEA) Report. UNDP, Nigeria. Abuja. 316 pp.
- Wang, Y., Yang, J. and Xu, D. (2006). Environmental impact assessment using the evidential reasoning approach. European Journal of Operational Research 174: 1885—1913
- World Resource Institute (1992). The World Resources 1992-93, New York Oxford University Press.
How to Cite
E., A. G., & R., O. J. (2017). Potential Impacts of Natural Gas Pipeline Construction and Operation on Land/Soil Quality in South Eastern Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Soil Science, 27(1), 335-344. https://doi.org/10.67042/njss.2017.a19617ur
A. G. E., and O. J. R., "Potential Impacts of Natural Gas Pipeline Construction and Operation on Land/Soil Quality in South Eastern Nigeria," Nigerian Journal of Soil Science, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 335-344, April 2017. doi: 10.67042/njss.2017.a19617ur
