PA Environment Digest Blog: EPA's Delay Of Oil & Gas Industry Methane Emissions Reductions Harms Pennsylvanians; Reactions From PA, Related Groups

Pennsylvania and related groups said the US Environmental Protection Agency’s compliance delay of the 2024 U.S. EPA Methane Rule, which requires industry polluters to cut dangerous methane emissions and harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs), puts Pennsylvania’s public health, climate, and natural resources at risk.

According to EPA’s own estimates, nationwide, delaying the implementation of standards for existing sources will result in 3.8 million tons of methane, 960,000 tons of VOCs, and 36,000 tons of toxic air pollutants that otherwise would have been prevented.

Pennsylvanians are already paying the price, including the over 1.2 million Pennsylvanians who live within a half mile of active oil and gas wells:

-- Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is more than 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in the near term and is responsible for one-third of the climate warming we are experiencing today.

-- $178 million worth of methane was wasted in 2023 — enough gas to meet the heating and cooking needs of 820,000 households.

-- Increased air pollution in counties like Allegheny, Bucks, and Philadelphia, which already receive failing ozone grades.

Delaying implementation of methane standards exacerbates energy waste, blocks the benefits of cost-effective methane mitigation technologies already being deployed in Pennsylvania’s fast-growing methane mitigation industry - a sector that grew 42 percent in PA between 2021 and 2024.

Timely implementation is essential not only to protect public health but also to reduce energy waste and ensure economic growth in a sector where Pennsylvania is already poised to lead.

Reactions

In response to this announcement, Kim Anderson, Evangelical Environmental Network’s Director of Member Mobilization, shared-- “Delaying these much-needed protections against methane pollution endangers our health and is fiscally irresponsible. As evangelicals, we believe that all human life is worth defending, including the nearly 1.5 million Pennsylvanians who live, work, and go to school near oil and gas facilities, exposing them to higher rates of dangerous pollutants.

“In one year, oil and gas operations wasted $178 million worth of natural gas–enough to serve the heating and cooling needs of every household in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for a whole year. In a time when energy costs are on the rise, this is a waste of valuable resources.

This leaking gas also poses a risk to human health, but it is preventable.

“That’s why nearly 50,000 pro-life evangelicals in our commonwealth supported a strong and swift State Implementation Rule over the last two years.

“Our federal government should listen to these residents and ensure there is no delay to the rule. Similarly, our state should move forward with a strong plan to defend our health.

“Any delay will harm the hearts, minds, and lungs of Pennsylvanians, especially our children, both born and unborn.”

Alison Steele, Executive Director, Environmental Health Project, said-- “Delaying industry compliance of the federal methane rule directly threatens the health and welfare of people across the globe. Limits on industrial pollutants the oil and gas industry emits can lessen the impact of climate change, reducing chronic illness, hospitalizations, and deaths.

“Reasonable pollution regulations can also lower the risk of health impacts experienced by residents who live as far as ten miles from polluting facilities, such as the vast network of shale gas wells, pipelines, compressor stations, and power plants in many states.

“It’s time for agencies to listen to the experts and promote smart pollution regulations that protect public health. Delaying compliance of the federal methane rule does the opposite.”

Dr. Gabriel Cisneros, Co-Chair Environmental Health Committee of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said-- “As a pediatrician caring for children here in Pennsylvania, I am deeply concerned about the impact this delay will have on young people’s health.

“Many families in our state live near oil and gas sites, especially in southwestern and northeastern Pennsylvania, where methane is released alongside pollutants that worsen asthma and respiratory illness.

“Extending compliance deadlines means more pollution in the air our kids breathe. EPA should move quickly to restore firm timelines so children across Pennsylvania can grow up with cleaner, safer air.”

John Rutecki, Regulatory and Legislative Manager, Environmental Defense Fund, said-- “This decision to delay compliance with EPA’s commonsense methane standards underlines the need for Pennsylvania to step up and fill this leadership void.

“The Commonwealth is home to more than 76,000 active oil and gas wells - many near homes and schools. Delaying these protections means our communities, especially those on the frontlines, will continue to breathe dangerous air pollution without strong and resilient state action.”

Resource Links:

-- DEP: More Than 99% Of Conventional Oil & Gas Facility Owners Failed To Comply With 2022 VOC/Methane Reduction Regulations Covering 64,660 Wells; Had 193 Days To File [PaEN]

-- Environmental Defense Fund: President’s EPA Delays Methane Pollution Protections From Oil & Gas Industry Despite Health Risks, Energy Waste, Widespread Opposition

-- EPA Extends Deadlines For Oil & Gas Industry Methane Emissions Reporting And Certain Compliance Dates

-- AP: President’s EPA Moves To Abandoned Rule That Sets Tough Standards For Deadly Soot Pollution

-- Clean Air Task Force: EPA Asks Court To Strike Down Fine Particulate Air Pollution Standard Threatening Public Health, Undermining Obligation In Federal Clean Air Act

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: President’s EPA Again Reverses Course On Coke [Coal] Oven Rule For Toxic Air Pollution, Granting 2-Year Waivers To Comply

-- PublicPower.org: US DOE Extends Closure Date Again For Eddystone Natural Gas Power Plant In Delaware County Under ‘Emergency’ Order [Click Here for Order]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 29 to Dec. 5 - Eight New Shale Gas Well Casing/Cementing Failures; 329,900 Gallons Of Pipeline Drilling Fluid Lost To Mine Voids; Violations Sent For Not Reporting On 988 Conventional Wells [PaEN]

-- DEP: CNX Gas Suffers Shale Gas Well Casing Failure While Zipper Fracking 3 Wells In West Finley Twp., Washington County; CNX Waited Over 10 Hours To Notify DEP [PaEN]

-- DEP Issued Violations To Repsol Oil & Gas For Casing/Cementing Failures In 4 Shale Gas Wells After A 34-Hour Uncontrolled Wastewater Release At The Broadleaf Well Pad In Bradford County [PaEN]