by
Cindy Dunn, President and CEO, PennFuture
Davitt Woodwell, Executive Vice President, Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Matt Watson, National Director of State Programs, Natural Gas, Environmental Defense Fund
First, the bad news. There is broad agreement that methane emissions from natural gas development in Pennsylvania and other states are a serious problem.
Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas and, absent adequate controls, methane leaks across the natural gas supply chain could undo many of the potential environmental benefits natural gas can have over other fossil fuels like coal.
But there appears to be a disconnect about what is being done today to assess and regulate these emissions in the Keystone state.
Natural gas has economic benefits that include lower heating costs and cheaper electricity. With respect to air emissions, there are fewer sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions sent into the atmosphere than with coal.
But methane – a greenhouse gas that is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after its release into the atmosphere – can quickly undue those benefits.
Methane is often leaked and vented as a result of the gas development process, and leakage is seen from well pad to distribution and delivery, all the way to the burner on your stove. Left unchecked, methane is a ticking time bomb when it comes to near-term climate change.
It can also contribute to localized impacts like ozone pollution (smog), which is more likely to form on hotter days.
This is of particular concern in Pennsylvania's metropolitan areas such as Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia, all of which received failing grades in the American Lung Association's just-released annual State of the Air report.
A recent study in Pennsylvania found that methane emissions in some places are potentially 100 to 1,000 times higher than U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates.
Now, the good news. Methane emissions can be significantly and cost-effectively controlled with proper equipment and robust monitoring and repair.
The question now becomes – what is Pennsylvania doing about it?
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Chris Abruzzo was recently quoted as saying that, “Pennsylvania, under the direction of Gov. Tom Corbett, has been a national leader in creating and implementing the toughest, most stringent and enforceable emissions requirements for this industry.”
It's true that Pennsylvania made progress last year in updating emission control requirements for gas operations. The DEP now requires quarterly inspections for leaks – so called “fugitive” emissions – at compressor stations.
And at well sites, operators can avoid going through the permitting process if they agree to conduct annual inspections for leaks along with a handful of other requirements.
So while Pennsylvania has made strides, how are we stacking up against other states?
Unfortunately, we’re falling well short of any claim to national leadership.
In Colorado, Gov. John Hickenlooper mustered the political will in a relatively short period of time to put in place the nation's most comprehensive regulatory framework to control air emissions from oil and gas operations, including becoming the first state in the nation to directly regulate methane from a wide range of development activities.
It was a bold move, and one that was broadly supported by communities, environmental groups and even the state's leading oil and gas companies.
It was a bold move, and one that was broadly supported by communities, environmental groups and even the state's leading oil and gas companies.
Wyoming, a state where some rural areas are struggling with oil and gas-related air pollution that is on par with that of Los Angeles, has also implemented requirements to control emissions from a wide range of air pollution sources at well sites – including requiring quarterly leak inspections.
Next door, Ohio now also requires natural gas drillers to conduct quarterly inspections to find and fix leaks.
Keep in mind, the governors and other elected leaders in these three leading states welcome gas development. They want the economic upside it can bring. But they also know that local communities, public health and the environment can’t take a back seat.
Fortunately, cost-effective technologies already exist that can cut onshore methane emissions by 40 percent in five years at an annual cost of less than a penny per thousand feet of cubic gas.
We believe Pennsylvania can and should be a national leader on these issues. Other states have set the bar, and energy companies are meeting these tough new requirements. There’s no reason why it can’t happen here.
Our state accounts for a staggering amount of greenhouse gas emissions, and unchecked methane emissions will only further that unworthy role. To be a true leader, we must meet the challenge for the benefit and greater health of our citizens and communities.
NewsClips:
Recent Methane Stories:
DEP Report On Air Quality Impacts From Marcellus Shale Operations In Southwest
