Breath of fresh air
EPA to tighten Marcellus shale emissions
Local residents can breathe easier both literally and figuratively after hearing that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new emission standards to control and reduce air toxins emitted from oil and gas drilling operations.
The news should be especially welcomed by residents of Greene and Washington counties, where the Marcellus shale development is going strong.
But even in Fayette County, where the industry is still in its beginning stages, the news should be greeted warmly by local residents.
The EPA said the proposed rules would reduce air pollution from well drilling, leaking pipes, storage tanks and compressor stations and could be achieved using technology already employed by several companies.
“Reducing these emissions will help cut toxic pollution that can increase cancer risks and smog that can cause asthma attacks and premature death,” said Gina McCarthy, EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation.
The EPA must finalize the rules by Feb. 28, 2012. But before that happens, the agency will hold three public hearings, including one in Pittsburgh.
That’s also good news for local residents who will now be able to express their concerns over the proposed regulations.
And there could be some good reasons for local resident to pay close attention to the hearings, according to environmental activists.
“The EPA’s rules, as described, are fine as far they go, but they don’t go far enough,” said Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of Pennsylvania’s Future, a statewide organization active on Marcellus shale issues.
“The rules will deal with significant pollution at specific stages in the drilling process, but there is a crying need for air pollution rules to be enforced for all portions of drilling operations.
“These operations often cover large land areas and include wells, pipelines, compressor stations and other equipment — all of which create air pollution. Unless EPA requires drillers to deal with all operations in aggregate, we will fall far short of fully protecting the public health, the environment and the economy from deadly air pollution,” added Jarrett.
The Marcellus shale industry, of course, sees the situation quite diffently.
Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a pro-drilling lobbying and advocacy organization representing the industry, said the proposed rules are “unworkable” and could hurt industry productivity.
“As this process moves forward, we look forward to providing EPA with fact-based information regarding our best practices and industry-leading operations, which are ensuring that the region’s air quality is not impacted,” said Klaber.
“In fact, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection studies have determined that Marcellus activities do not present any ‘air-related health issues,”‘ she added.
While it’s true the department has conducted three short-term air quality studies near Marcellus well drilling operations in the past eight months and found no public health concerns, critics have pointed out the department did not look at the cumulative impact of the pollutants.
It’s also true that pollution from natural gas drilling in the Upper Green River Basin in western Wyoming triggered levels of ground-level ozone, the main ingredient in smog, worse than those recorded in Los Angeles, one of the smoggiest cities in the U.S.
And in Dish, Texas, a rural town northwest of Dallas, the state’s environmental regulators detected levels of cancer-causing benzene, sometimes at levels dangerous to human health, likely coming from industry’s 60 drilling wells, gas production pads and rigs, a treating facility and compressor station.
It’s important to note that drilling has been going on in those two areas far longer than it has been here, so local residents can’t be blamed for being extremely concerned about what’s happening in those areas.
It’s also worrisome that the debt limit deal recently reached by Congress and the White House could result in cuts of millions of dollars in federal agencies.
The EPA will almost certainly be affected by the cutbacks, so there are legitimate concerns if the agency will have the manpower necessary to properly control the growing Marcellus shale industry.
It’s important to remember the cuts will come on top of job losses on the state level in the Department of Environmental Protection, which is also charged with overseeing the Marcellus shale industry.
Those who are applauding the spending cutbacks on both the federal and state levels should be wary of getting what they ask for.
The result could be more pollution and cancer for everyone, especially local residents who live near the drilling operations of the Marcellus shale industry.
Of course, the hope is that the government and the industry will be able to agree on rules that are affordable and safeguard the health and welfare of local residents.
It’s important that the Marcellus shale industry isn’t crippled or shackled completely. But the drilling simply must be done safely.
Thus far, officials involved in the Marcellus shale industry have spoken time and time again about how they want to develop this crucial resource safely without repeating the mistakes of the coal industry many years ago.
Here’s a chance for those involved in the Marcellus shale industry to step up and be part of the solution, not part of the problem.