ORDES
PENNSYLVANIA BASELINE
Part 1 - General Information
Seccion 1 - Nature of the OR8ES Drojec:
Section 2 - The Pennsylvania Baseline
Section 3 - Historial Synopsis of
Hunan Act iv it ies in
Western Pennsylvania
PHASE II
OHIO RIVER DASIN ENERGY STUDY
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June, 1379
PENNSYLVANIA BASELINE
Part 1 - General In format ion
Seccion I - Nature of the OR8ES =rojec:
Section 2 - The 3ennsy1vania Baseline
Section 3 - His-.orial Synoosis of
Human Act ivi ties in
Western Pennsylvania
BY
Maurice A Shapiro
University o: Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Perrsylvania 15261
Prepared for
Ohio River Basin Energy Scjdy (OR3ES)
Grant Murrber R305603-3I-3
OFFICE OF RE5E.-3C-I AND OSVEL
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, O.C...2?t60
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1.1 NATURE OF THE OR3ES PROJECT
The Ohio River Basin Energy Study (ORBES) is an inte-
grated technology assessment funded by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. This interdisciplinary endeavor is currently
in its third year of research (Phase I!). The objective of the
project is to ascertain plausible environmental, economic, and
sociological impacts of energy development in the Ohio River
Basin under six hypothetical energy scenarios (futures). The
ORBES study region includes part or all of the six states bor-
dering the river: substantial corticns of Illinois, Indiana,
and Ohio (excluding the northerr tier counties), all of Kentucky,
southwestern Pennsylvania, and «rost of '.-lest Virginia (Figure 1).
Academicians from the Universitv of Illinois, University of
Kentucky, University of Louisvi'le, Indiana University, Ohio
State University, Purdue University, West Virginia University,
and the University of Pittsburgh provide technical expertise in
the fields of ecology, economics, engineering, geography, health,
lav/, sociology, planning, and political science.
1.2 THE PENNSYLVANIA BASELINE
Early in the project, srvi-onmenta1/socio-economic "base-
lines" of each state were deemed to be requisite -input in order
to establish a solid foundation fron w.iich tc conduct energy
impact analyses. A baseline co-sists of a series of in-deoth
documents which describe the ex sting resources and er v i romor, -.a •
status of a state's CRBES region and at the sama time provide
a historical overview of changes in these resources. The re-
sulting characterization provides a aerspective - it presents
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I iGURE 1
OHIO RIVER BASIN ENERGY STUDY REGION
PHASE
Ohio River Drainage Basin
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the data necessary to gauge --he magnitude and significance of
future impacts. The Pennsylvania baseline is comprised of six
documents (Table 1) which contain the most current and osrf.nent
information available for eight topical areas generally address-
ed in environmental impacts statements: geology, clinatology,
soils, terrestrial ecology, hydrology, water quality, aauatic
ecology, and socio-economics . Oata analysis and interpretation
by the seven contributing autncrs (Table 2) makes these docj-
ments a valuable source of ir.formation for both the OR3ES Pro-
ject and agencies concerned with the management of Western
Pennsylvania's resources.
The Pennsylvania f^BES recion encompasses 13,300 sauare
miles of Western Pennsylvania. The region contains all of the
following nineteen counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Seave^,
Sutler, Cambria, Clearfield, Clarion, Elk, Fayette, Forest,
Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Venango,
Washington, and Westmoreland. Figure 2 illustrates the location
of these counties in Western Pennsylvania. The county abbre-
viations employed in Figure 2 are also utilized in many of the
tables within the baseline documents. A comparison of Figure 2
with a map of the Ohio River drainage in Pennsylvania (Figure 1)
reveals that several counties with1, n the basin (Crawforc, Erie,
ficKean, Potter, and Warren) -/.ere excluded fr;m the study '•eqio-..
Conversely, Clearfield County 15 included in i'r = s-.jdy regi 3."
even though only 9.9"', o* its land a^-a is drained to the Ohio
Rive*1 System. SeTection of counties for inclusion in ORSiS was
the result of deliberation by the Cere Team, taking into account
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TAELi 1
TOPICAL AREAS °F PASELI'IE
FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA OR2:s ?.E3nri
Part II - Irrpact Assessment Tata S-'.se
Chaoter 1 - Characteristics and -uman ;J-il izaticn of 'iarjral Ecosys-.ans
Section 1 - Gecrcgy
Section 2 - Clifneta'ocy
. Section 3 - Soils
Section i - "e-'-es-ria! Ecology
Section 5 - Surface Hydrology
Section 5 - V'ater Oucli'-y
3ec:ion 7 - Aquatic Ecology
Chaoter 2 - Socio-Econom-.c Charscteri sties
Section 1 - Demographic Character-,5".-cs
Section 2 - Income
Section 3 - Employment
Section £ - Housing
Section 5 - G overmen-.a 1 ^a/aroes and E.
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TAPLE 2
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH RESEARCH TEAM
OHIO RIVER BASi;i ENERGY'STUDY'S
PENNSYLVANIA BASELINE
Burgess, Richard A.
Graduate Student Researcher
Dept. IEHS
Socio-Economi cs
Flint, Norman K.
Professor of Geology
Dept. Geology
Geology, Ilimatciogy,
and Soils
Kay, Georgs P.
Environmental Research Asst.
Dept. IEHS
Hydrology, Aou?
and Terrestrial
f.ccloqv
Shapiro, Maurice A.
Professor Environ. Health Enaineenng
Deot. IEHS
Project Director,
Socio-Economics,
Hydrology and Ecology
Sharma, Rabinder K.
Asst. Professor Public Health
Deot. HSA
Socio-Eccncr.ics
! Sooky, Attila A.
' Assoc. Research Professor
Oeoc. IEHS
- '.-later Poll. Cntrl
'•'ater Quality and
HydroIccy
Sykora, Jan L.
Assoc. Research Professor - Acuatic
Deot. IEHS
Aquatic and Terrestrial
Ecology j
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FIGURF 2
PENNSYLVflNIfl ORBF.5 COUNTIES
ALLF. = Allegheny f.ounLy
ARMS = Anns Irony Coiml.y
WAV -- iV'dVLT County
lillfl - llutli.T County
CAMIi = Cdinhvia County
CI.AR = demon County
I.I i:A = C1 eci r field (.nun ty
Tl K = Mt (ounLy
I-AYT = Fori'St County
I OKI" - I'orc.-bL (.ounty
OR I C - f'.rccno County
INI)I = Indiaiiii County
JI'FF - Jcl t'orson Tounty
I Atlli = I .iwri-m i; County
II'RC = Mi-rccr County
M1MI r- SoiiKM-'U-l County
VI'NA - Von.ini|0 Cdiinty
HASH - Udsliinf|lon Lounty
UFST = WdstinorL'luiid County
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such factors as the sotertialit/ for power plant construction in
the area, relative hydrologic importance of the area, and im-
portance of cities outside the basin tc the county's economy.
In Pennsylvania's case norther,- counties of the basin were
eliminated from consideration cecause of cine low potentiality
for future power plants and because zf econcrr.ic influence f-crc
Erie, Pennsylvania, and upstat-: New vork.
1 3 A HISTORICAL SYNOPSIS OF rl'MAN .-CTIVI'lES Ifl
WESTERN PENNSYL/ANIP
A. Introduction
The earliest European settlers to enter the frontier region
west of the Allegheny Mountains were creepers and t-aders of
English and French extraction. English trade's apoeared in the
northern sections of Western Pennsylvania as early as 1720 and
the French, moving east from the Mississippi and s:uth frcrr
Canada, arrived in southwestern Pennsylvania by 173C.
Migration west from the cities of New York, Boston, ar.a
Philadelphia was deflected south because the Allegheny .Mountains
prevented easy transport of the belongings pioneers carried with
them. Migration funneled throjgh the Cumberland Valley into
Maryland and Virginia. It was from the western portions of
these colonies that English settlers began moving north into
Western Pennsylvania. 3y 1753 Englishmen from Virginia were
present in the "-egicn surrou-.c-rg present day ?; ttsburch. .'--
French population was still primarily composed of trapoers and
traders.
Fort Ouquesne was CC.TS tr-j: tec :n 175-1 at tne confluence
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Allegheny a.-.d 'Ic-cngahe'a Ri-.e-s. T-e r:a;or means :- :.-a^soor 3-1 ;n
from Western Pennsylvania do\«n the Ohio Valley was sy //ater. "he
location of Fort Duq'jesne provded a means for the Frsrcn to con-
trol movement down the Ohio River and uo the AVeghery and
Monongahela Rivers.
General Braddoc'<'s ill-fa-.ad atte-r.pt tc capt-jra CMS F'-anc'n
fort did produce the fi<-st roadway from Cumberland Maryland tc
'./estern Pennsylvania in 1755. Gereral Forbes constructed vinat
was called Forbes Road durir.c 5 s.-ccessful e a r. j - a •: t Jri rg oeca-. to
grow.
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8. Lumber
The first significant industry -n '.-/escern Pennsylvania was
lumbering. As early as 1777 shipbuilding *as occurring near t*e
mouth of the Ohio. During the late '730's Scotch- Iri sh lumcer^en
began clearing the extensive hardwood forests of the northern
counties. Soft woods from the central and southern sections of
Western Pennsylvania also co«tr 1 b-jte i to :r.e rac'-iiy exoanding
timber industry.
New Englanders came to -he area and commercialized lumbering.
French-Canadian lumberjacks ca,7e so-j-.h to fall '-he timber. Small
numbers of saw mills sprang -JD in the areas east of Pittsburgh.
The vast water network of the Allegheny, voncrcare1 a and ''ougrrc-
gheny Easirs creviced transport for iocs and lu.nbar to t'-ie
Pittsburgh area sawmlls. The fores-.s of Venan-go, Forest, Elk,
Clarion, Jefferson and Clear-'ield CojitUs s'/sllea wit'-. Znglisi,
and German i-nmigrants ceding ^est cvsr -he Allag'nenys 3nd Scats
coming from the sout* throjgn 'itisbjrgn. 3./ fc^e end of the 13th
century Scotch- Iri sh irmngracTDn occjrrsd in uriDroken ,-/aves fo^
several years.
The land west of and including /enango County was cleared o~
oak for farming. The burning }f 02'< produced charcoal and ashes
which were sold provided the f', "sc co-.-nercia. encerorises i •: r^e
northwestern section of the region. Cha*-coa: fed the 'iavel jo i -g
iro-i smelting indus-'-y. Oak ashes, "ich in rjotis*, '; = -e jseo
t'ne production of soap and g'ass, bleac'nirg and cry>c clotr. 3".d
the scouring of wool. The nor chess tern =re2 of the region, tne
Allegheny plateau --/ith poor soil, ./inding narrow valleys and
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cool weather was unsuited to farming. "he northwestern area w:tn
rolling hills and sandy soils did provide productive agricultural
land.
By 1330 the northeastern area had expensive 1-jmoering :pe-
rations. Wood for nones, ships, barrels, tools ana the growing
network of rails (ties and railroad cars) was increasing as fas:
as the timber could be felled. Sawmills and lumoer camos dotted
the area. Water oowered mills and transcorted timber oroducts.
Within twenty to thirty years zhe timcer was gone. T^e "suaoort
enterprizes" thai: grew around the limbering industry lost fieir
economic base. As the 1 unberii-i-n -roved west ecooo.m ca 1 ly depressed
towns were left behind.
The east central area of -ha racion had a sin-Mar fate. The
first permanent settlers, Ger-n^ns anc Scotch-Irish arrived in 1791
and the first permanent settlements were established after 1796.
The uncertainty of land titles ar-d Indian attacks "Vnibited Is'-g-i
.novement into the area. Logs ,.ere shipped to ° i ttsourgh un^il
188- at which time the lumberi-.g ar.d tanning industries oni'ted i -s
harvesting hemlock stands for local use.
C . Transport:.r. Ion
Early transportation with:n the region "/as orimarily based
upon r.,-ie area's extensive natj-al v.aterways. TTI s -,/ji:2r syite-r,
afforded Pittsburgh tne opoortjnicy ~o ceve'-jp 25 t'ie rep i or. 3
major trading ana incjstna1. c i r. t e ^ .
The key to the Pittsburgh-Wheeling co,~p = t i tion for regicnsl
and western markets was trar:sp:rtc ti on. Goods .-/ere s,h:pped fr:n
Pittsburgh to New Orleans and in IcCl, 450 f1atooats carried
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goods to the port of Mew Or! ears. Return by kaalboat was
necessary. The downstream trip took 4 to 6 weeks. However, us
to a months was required to travel the 1,950 nile return trip.
Within one decade trve steamshi: changed the nature o* water trans-
portation forever. With rapid upstream oassage gqssi.ble, eastern
cities shipped goods by sea to New Orleans and from -here as far
north as Cincinnati. This indirect route was less expensive than
transporting goods over the mountains to Pittsburgh for subseq'-ien:
water transoort. The 4arrisburg-Pittsburgh T-jrmi.o, ooened '• r
1314, notably stimulates commerce. ~he impetus giver. Pittsburgh
was undermined howeve'- by the comoletion of tr.e National Turnpike
from Baltimore tc '.-/heeling in 1313. Wheeling gained a command: ng
commercial lead over = i ttsourgr-. Pittsburgh v/as -'urthe'- rec-jcei
in stature as a commerce center by the completion of the Erie Car.ai
in 1825. Goods could now cone from and go to Mew ^ork City-Buffalo,
New York and Erie, Pennsylvania by water. The northern mos: Penn-
sylvaman counties began to sucoly gccds to tn.e Erie region rathe-
than to Pittsburgh.
Competition in t.ne East VMS ?rii?arily resocn 5 •: bl e for -.he
resurrection of Oittsbu'gh cornrerce. Mev/ York City anc Salt iTior-:
threatened the commercial interests - r, 3hi 1 ace1. ;n-2. ^s * result
of competition, tne Mair, Line o- Stata '.-/crKs was de:elopei ind
the much needed link between ?lv lada" uni 2 ar.c Pittsb-i^ch was
established. The Pennsylvania -. a i 1 " c a d was c i a r t e r * d • n 1 3 :5 : :v:
linked the tdo Pennsylvania cities in '352, the sare year f. =
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reached -heeling.
The coming cf the 'ail^oacs gave a boost tc -'ttshu-gh
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commerce and the entire Western Pennsylvania 1-jroarir.g industry.
The expansion of rails west of Pittsburgh, howeve-, spelled di-
saster for river transport. Rail was a faster means of trarsoo'-t
and the expanding markets of tne west called for increasing:;/
rapid and more sophisticated transoort. Traffic down the Orio
River increased until 1869 and then slowly began to recede. The
need for industries to be located on waterways -n scutrv/este'-n
Pennsylvania decreased.
D. Oil
The sandy soils of the northern sections or the re-ion ne'd
more than agricultural promise (an irdustry tnat never was to
develoo significantly in relation to national p'odoction>.
As early as 1763 Indians made use of oil. The commercial
value of the resource did not develop until the mid 19th cantu'-y.
Whale oil and tallow were the v/orlcs i 11 iimi nents. 5y 1330 the
world's whale harvests began tc dwindle. it was during tni i
oericd that distillation of crude cetroleu^ tc yield kerosene
revolutionized home ligitir.g. In 1359 E. L. 0-ake had ?enn:./l-.-.-
nia's first oil well in Titusvlle. 3y t.ne close of 136C
producing oil wells were located uo and a own 1-1 Creek Valley.
The Western Pennsylvania "oil ooom" was on.
Associated with the expanding oil production were two
significant difficulties, oil storage and t r? ",s:o"ta 11 on . 5ar
could not be imoorted fast erojg'n anc bar-e1 oroduc::ci becaira
an important satalita industry. Transportation also increase:
significantly. At its oeax, a 2000 vessel fleet of vs'ious
craft with carrying capacities ranging from 50 co 1500 bai'rs 5
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was moving oil to Pittsburgh. *s with lumber, '.he -source «as
rapidly depleted. 3y 1900 the najoricy of Q'l '.-'25 gone. Ghost
towns remained where boon towns once stood and poor small
communities contained the population remaining. As an example
of the rapid change Pitholes stands out. Pitholes grew to a
community of 15,000 in a matter of a -'ew months, '-itnin one year
the oil was gone and the town v
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for coking changed Pittsburgh f'-om a leading commerce cents- into
the nations primary metals center.
The opening of the Great Western Iron Works in 1339 began a
40 year iron boom in the north central section of the region. At
the height of activity *Q blast furnaces were operating in the
wilderness of Clarion County.
Exploitation of anthracite and soft coals were the nost
important factors in area i nd astral i zati on . As the availability
of charcoal declined and coke f:red blast furnaces slowly began to
appear throughout the area.
Changes in iron and coking technologies centered the iron and
steel making industry in the Pittsburgh area. Originally, "lost
coke was made in "beehive over-s" near coal mines. Volatile by-
products were converted for use in production. "- orocess brought
into the United States around 1£92, coking became centralized and
integrated with iron and steel production. The expense of in-
stallation and ooeration of by-:rcduct ovens orohibited the;r
construction in the rural areas of tie region. The devel oprr.ent
of Lawrence and Mercer Counties in the 19th century v/as s-gni-
ficantly influenced by the abuncancs of iron ore, limestone and
volatile coal (prior to coking). (Tne completion of tre Erie
extention of the Pennsylvania C.-nal : n 1344 ccn^ecte: the rajon:/
of area population c e n t e r s with Pittsbjrgh a>~d Z"i = .)
Oijring the deva 1 oprc---.: of cokinc operations a.-.J Cccnr.o":•:;•
the coal and coke of Cornell svi ! 1 e , "idea1 neta' 1-jrg i c = ^ co'
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The last quarts'- of the 19th certury saw Pittsburgh take a
commanding lead. In 1875 Carnecie's Edgar Thompson Works, 'the
first integrated steel works in the region was built, followed
by the Homestead Works in 1881.
The area population began e
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precipitated the decline in Pittsburgh's share of the stee" and
iron markets.
The cost associated with tie commodities coming into demand
resulted in the basic metal prize becoming a smaller portion of
total costs. Thus cost considerations shifted from the primary
metals to other costs and permitted less centralized steel and
iron markets to form.
Although mill capacity increased the market share held by
Pittsburgh declined. The ingot capacity on a national level
decreased from 1/3 or total ingot capacity suoplied in 1398 to
1/4 in 1920, 1/5 in 1945 and less than 1/5 in 1960.
Coupled with the changes ir the steel and iron markets was
a concurrent decline in coal mining. After World War 1 two
factors contributed to the economic depression of the region.
First, a switch from coal "o oil and gas home Beating cut
deeply into the demand for coal. Secondly, tie increasing
mechanization of the mining industry caused increasing unemaloy-
ment.
In 1941, 90 million tons of coal were minea by approximately
83,000 miners. 2y 136^ production dropped to -3 million tons and
employment to 16,000 miners. A'thouch 1956 estimates indicated
36 billion tons of coal 'reserves existed only 17,300 miners we^e
at work and this level of emplo^iient "eoresented an increase ever
the few .preceeding years.
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