News

Pennsylvania leaders have a duty to protect Keystone residents from oil and gas pollution.  Fortunately, Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection  took an important step in that direction this week when they released a blueprint for cutting methane pollution from the natural gas industry.

The goal here is to cover not only new sources of methane and VOC emissions [from oil and gas facilities], but also existing sources over time,†DEP Secretary John Quigley told hundreds of viewers during a live Facebook town hall event yesterday. We want to have a comprehensive emissions program that is nation-leading. I think it's the strongest set of provisions in the country, and I think the number two natural gas producing state in the nation should have the best regulations, and that's what we're going to have in Pennsylvania.â€

That's a bold and laudable commitment one that deserves our support to help make sure the promise becomes reality.

As the second largest gas-producing state in the nation, it's critical that we get the rules right in Pennsylvania.  In 2014 alone, Pennsylvania operators produced more than 4 trillion cubic feet of gas.  That amount of production comes with an environmental cost that cannot be ignored.

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a highly potent climate pollutant responsible for about a quarter of the global warming we are experiencing right now. Methane leaks are ubiquitous up and down the natural gas supply chain.  They result from both intentional venting and accidental leaks that come from poorly maintained equipment and sloppy field performance.

The ongoing disaster at the natural gas storage facility in Aliso Canyon, California puts a painful spotlight on the need for strong rules and vigilant oversight. It also highlights the fact that emissions are probably much greater than we realize. Traditional emission estimates often fail to capture big leaks in their numbers, so industry-reported data very likely underestimate methane emissions by a wide margin.

Leaking methane also allows smog-forming volatile organic compounds and other toxic air pollutants to escape increasing the risk of real health impacts to local communities. So, eliminating methane emissions is a win-win, helping reduce the climate impacts from natural gas ...