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EDF: PA Takes First Step To Reduce Methane Emissions From Natural Gas Operations

DEP’s Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee Thursday discussed new draft general permits to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations. They are the first state standards that directly address oil and gas methane pollution in Pennsylvania.

The draft permits require natural gas operators to check new equipment for leaks on a quarterly basis. Companies must then attempt to repair the leak within five calendar days.

According to recent data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pennsylvania’s oil and gas producers emit 100,000 tons of methane a year.

Leaks are one of the leading sources of emissions, and EPA finds quarterly inspections are effective at reducing 80 percent of leaks, where annual inspections reduce only 40 percent.

With the proposal, the Wolf administration moves forward with its four-point Methane Reduction Strategy to reduce methane emissions from natural gas operations announced in January 2016.

The plan also calls for standards that will reduce leaks at existing oil and gas facilities, and for companies to establish best management practices for reducing emissions from the production, gathering, transmission and distribution sectors.

“Today, Gov. Tom Wolf took an important step to follow through on his commitment to protect Pennsylvania families from the impacts of oil and gas development,” said Andrew Williams, Senior State Regulatory and Legislative Affairs Manager for Environmental Defense Fund. “These commonsense controls are cost-effective, readily available and already used by many Pennsylvania companies. We still have a long way to go but today, Pennsylvania has served notice to industry claims that these measures have no environmental benefit when they absolutely do.”

The next steps in the process are for DEP to finalize the draft general permits and put the package of changes out for formal public review.

For more information on methane leaks, visit EDF’s Methane Research webpage.

Visit DEP’s Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee webpage for copies of the proposals and the Methane Reduction Strategy webpage for more background on the overall strategy.

NewsClips:

DEP Unveils Permit Requirements To Curb Methane Pollution At Natural Gas Sites

DEP Unveils Methane Controls For Shale Gas Sites

EDF Sets Out To Map The Nation’s Methane Leaks

Editorial: State, Google Target Methane Leaks

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