New state methane rules being developed for oil and gas operations
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will be developing rules that it says will reduce methane emissions from new and existing oil and gas operations .
The new rules would affect equipment and practices at well sites, pipelines and other types of infrastructure and, according to a news release from the DEP, reduce emissions from venting and flaring.
The proposed rules have been included in its annual update of the regulatory actions it anticipates undertaking over the next year.
“As a greenhouse gas, methane is more potent than carbon dioxide and is a key driver in climate change,” DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley said. These commonsense regulations will prevent it from leaking into the atmosphere and improve air quality.”
She added that the proposed rules were “the first step in the regulatory process, and we will hear from stakeholders and the public before these regulations are finalized.”
The proposed rules have received plaudits from environmental groups. Alice Lu, a policy analyst with the Clean Air Council, said “Pennsylvania has an opportunity to reduce pollution in communities that have shouldered the environmental burdens of oil and gas extraction, while also reducing waste from the industry.”
Flora Cardoni, deputy director of PennEnvironment, said, “As Pennsylvania gets battered with the effects of extreme weather like wildfire smoke, dangerously high heat and damaging microburst storms, it’s a reminder that we must do everything in our power to reduce the state’s climate pollution as quickly as possible.”
The proposed rules will be reviewed before they are adopted, with opportunities for comment from gas and oil companies and the public before they are adopted.
The Marcellus Shale Coalition did not immediately respond to a message Monday seeking comment on the proposal.