A board foundation similar to that laid for the access road is 

 placed over the wellsite area. Internal earthworks are constructed 

 and shaped by various pieces of equipment, and the pad site is sur- 

 faced in a manner similar to that used for the access road. A 

 variety of auxiliary equipment and materials is moved to and stored 

 in the area prior to arrival of heavy drilling equipment. Drilling 

 activities require one to three months. Test results indicate 

 whether the well should be put into production or capped and shut 

 down. 



2. Primary ecological alterations 



2.1 Complete vegetation removal inside the ring levee and in borrow 

 pits outside the ring levee 



2.2 Increases in concentrations of suspended sediments and nutri- 

 ents 



2.3 Creation of pits and a ring levee which alter water flows in 

 localized areas 



2.4 Introduction of toxic materials to water and soil systems 



2.5 Extended displacement of wildlife from entire area adjacent to 

 roadway, canal, and wellsite 



3. Attribute alterations 



Construction of the wellsite is usually an extension of construction 

 of the access road; the dragline merely continues operating, exca- 

 vating disjunct borrow pits to build the ring levee. This work and 

 the auxiliary preparation of the wellsite interior removes vegeta- 

 tion and associated insects from a maximum of 1.4 ha or 3.5 acres. 

 This removal represents a loss of food and cover for all the remain- 

 ing consumer groups: waterfowl, wading and shorebirds, mammals, and 

 alligators. 



Short-term increases in suspended sediments and nutrients result 

 from construction activities. Longer term increases resulting from 

 erosion of the ring levee are of minor consequence. Neither the 

 short-term nor the long-term effect usually has a significant impact 

 on the surrounding area. 



219 



