EPA Proposes Air Pollution Standards for Oil and Gas Production/Cost-effective, flexible standards rely on operators' ability to capture and sell natural gas that currently es...
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
today proposed standards to reduce harmful air pollution from oil
and gas drilling operations. These proposed updated standards -
which are being issued in response to a court order - would rely on
cost-effective existing technologies to reduce emissions that
contribute to smog pollution and can cause cancer while supporting
the administration’s priority of continuing to expand safe
and responsible domestic oil and gas production. The standards
would leverage operators' ability to capture and sell natural gas
that currently escapes into the air, resulting in more efficient
operations while reducing harmful emissions that can impact air
quality in surrounding areas and nearby states.
"This administration has been clear that natural gas is a key
component of our clean energy future, and the steps announced today
will help ensure responsible production of this domestic energy
source," said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's
Office of Air and Radiation. "Reducing these emissions will help
cut toxic pollution that can increase cancer risks and smog that
can cause asthma attacks and premature death - all while giving
these operators additional product to bring to market.”
Today’s proposal would cut smog-forming volatile organic
compound (VOC) emissions from several types ofprocesses
andequipment used in the oil and gas industry, including
a 95 percent reduction in VOCs emitted during the completion of new
and modified hydraulically fractured wells. This dramatic reduction
would largely be accomplished by capturing natural gas that
currently escapes to the air and making that gas available for
salethrough technologies and processes already in use by
several companies and required in some states.
Natural gas production in the U.S. is growing, with more than
25,000 new and existing wells fractured or re-fractured each year.
The VOC reductions in the proposal are expected to help reduce
ozone nonattainment problems in many areas where oil and gas
production occurs. In addition, the VOC reductions would yield a
significant environmental benefit by reducing methane emissions
from new and modified wells. Methane, the primary constituent of
natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas - more than 20 times more
potent than carbon dioxide. Today’s proposed changes also
would reduce cancer risks from emissions of several air toxics,
including benzene.
EPA’s analysis of the proposed changes, which also include
requirements for storage tanks and other equipment, show they are
highly cost-effective, with a net savings to the industry of tens
of millions of dollars annually from the value of natural gas that
would no longer escape to the air. Today’s proposal includes
reviews of four air regulations for the oil and natural gas
industry as required by the Clean Air Act: a new source performance
standard for VOCs from equipment leaks at gas processing plants; a
new source performance standard for sulfur dioxide emissions from
gas processing plants; an air toxics standard for oil and natural
gas production; and an air toxics standard for natural gas
transmission and storage.
EPA is under a consent decree requiring the agency to sign a
proposal by July 28, 2011 and take final action by Feb. 28, 2012.
As part of the public comment period, EPA will hold three public
hearings, in the Dallas, Denver and Pittsburgh areas. Details on
the hearings will be announced soon.
More information: https://www3.epa.gov/airquality//