The unique physical characteristics and regulatory conditions associated with the Marcellus Shale fields presents a far greater need for above-ground storage requirements as compared to the Barnett and Haynesville Shale fields. First, a significant portion of the Marcellus Shale resides within Pennsylvania State Forest owned property; subjecting it to stringent State DNCR, DEP and EPA regulations. These regions are also extremely rocky and mountainous, making excavation and impoundment placement difficult. In-ground impoundments are particularly challenging to construct as the DCNR prohibits blasting on State Forest property. Second, Pennsylvania DEP and EPA maintain strict limits on river and stream water consumption. This increases the need to capture rainwater and snow melt to decrease the requirement of water trucked in from outside sources. Third, regulatory agencies maintain strict limits on the excavation depth of in-ground impoundments as it relates to ground water levels. The lowest point of in-ground impoundments must be two feet above the ground water table. This acts to limit the depth of the impoundment, causing an increase in the overall footprint. Since land is at a premium, each impoundment footprint has to be as small as possible. Fourth, in-ground impoundments subject the environment to acid mining conditions. In this region, the excavation process exposes large amounts of sulfur, which results in acidic ground water runoff which in-turn pollutes the rivers and streams, causing them to be inhabitable. Fifty, due to the poor management of past mining activities, a vast majority of the Pennsylvania Townships maintain a negative mindset when it comes to land excavation. Sixth, impoundments are typically placed in remote areas with limited road access. Therefore, decreasing the truck traffic through the towns and to the remote areas is becoming increasingly important from both a road maintenance cost and township residence transportation convenience for their daily commute.