Data visualization of methane leaking from Aliso Canyon storage well
FINISH THE JOB ON
OIL AND GAS METHANE
OIL AND GAS METHANE
The EPA is dragging its feet on drafting standards for existing oil and gas facilities. Sign this letter to Administrator Gina McCarthy urging prompt action.
Dear Administrator McCarthy,
As US health professionals, we applaud recent EPA actions to limit new source methane emissions from the oil and gas industry but with nearly 90% of such emissions in 2018 attributable to the nearly 2 million unregulated oil and gas wells already in existence (ICF, 2014), your job is only 10% done, leaving the public at unacceptable risk of harm from air pollution and climate related illnesses. We strongly urge you to issue guidelines for existing oil and gas sources, as required by Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, without further delay.
Recent reports of alarming and unanticipated increases in atmospheric methane over areas of heavy oil and gas drilling (Turner, 2016; Heath 2014) and the prolonged public health emergency caused by a massive leak from a gas storage facility in California highlight the risks of inadequately monitored oil and gas operations and underline the urgent need to regulate existing sources.
Climate change induced by methane increases exposure to air pollutants, as well as allergens, bio-toxins, heavy metals, infectious diseases and extreme weather events. (USCGRP, 2014).
Communities adjacent to oil and gas facilities experience further increases in ambient levels of ozone and VOCs (Helmig, 2014; Macey, 2014, Pacsi, 2015), raising their risk of cancer, birth defects, brain damage, childhood asthma, cardiovascular disease, and premature death (McKenzie, 2014; 2012).
EPA has already determined that methane is a health hazard. Now its time to follow through. We hope you will promptly issue draft performance standards for existing sources of oil and gas methane.
Sincerely,
As US health professionals, we applaud recent EPA actions to limit new source methane emissions from the oil and gas industry but with nearly 90% of such emissions in 2018 attributable to the nearly 2 million unregulated oil and gas wells already in existence (ICF, 2014), your job is only 10% done, leaving the public at unacceptable risk of harm from air pollution and climate related illnesses. We strongly urge you to issue guidelines for existing oil and gas sources, as required by Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, without further delay.
Recent reports of alarming and unanticipated increases in atmospheric methane over areas of heavy oil and gas drilling (Turner, 2016; Heath 2014) and the prolonged public health emergency caused by a massive leak from a gas storage facility in California highlight the risks of inadequately monitored oil and gas operations and underline the urgent need to regulate existing sources.
Climate change induced by methane increases exposure to air pollutants, as well as allergens, bio-toxins, heavy metals, infectious diseases and extreme weather events. (USCGRP, 2014).
Communities adjacent to oil and gas facilities experience further increases in ambient levels of ozone and VOCs (Helmig, 2014; Macey, 2014, Pacsi, 2015), raising their risk of cancer, birth defects, brain damage, childhood asthma, cardiovascular disease, and premature death (McKenzie, 2014; 2012).
EPA has already determined that methane is a health hazard. Now its time to follow through. We hope you will promptly issue draft performance standards for existing sources of oil and gas methane.
Sincerely,
REFERENCES
Caulton, D. R., et al. (2014),Toward a better understanding and quantification of methane emissions from shale gas development, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 111(17),6237–6242, doi:10.1073/pnas.1316546111.
Harvey, S. Leaking Profits: The U.S. Oil and Gas Industry Can Reduce Pollution, Conserve Resources, and Make Money by Preventing Methane Waste. NRDC Report March 2012, http://www.nrdc.org/energy/leaking-profits.asp
Heath, G. “U.S. Natural Gas System Methane Emissions: State of Knowledge from LCAs, Inventories, and Atmospheric Measurements.” Presentation at Colorado State University on April 7, 2014.
Helmig Highly Elevated Atmospheric Levels of Volatile Organic Compounds in the Uintah Basin, Utah Environ. Sci. Technol., 2014, 48 (9), pp 4707–4715 DOI: 10.1021/es405046r
ICF March 2014 Economic Analysis of Methane Emission Reduction Opportunities in the U.S. Onshore Oil and Natural Gas Industries, https://www.edf.org/energy/icf-methane-cost-curve-report
Macey, G. Air concentrations of volatile compounds near oil and gas production: a community-based exploratory studyEnvironmental Health 2014, 13:82 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-13-82
McKenzie, L Birth Outcomes and Maternal Residential Proximity to Natural Gas Development in Rural ColoradoEnviron Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1306722 2014
McKenzie, L. Human health risk assessment of air emissions from development of unconventional natural gas resources, Science of the Total Environment 424 (2012) 79–87, 2012. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22444058
Miller, S. M., et al. (2013),Anthropogenic emissions of methane in the United States, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 110(50),20,018–20,022, doi:10.1073/pnas.1314392110.
Pacsi, AP Regional Ozone Impacts of Increased Natural Gas Use in the Texas Power Sector and Development in the Eagle Ford Shale Environ. Sci. Technol., 2015, 49 (6), pp 3966–3973 DOI: 10.1021/es5055012
Schneising, O. (2014), Remote sensing of fugitive methane emissions from oil and gas production in North American tight geologic formations. Earth's Future, 2: 548–558. doi:10.1002/2014EF000265
Turner , AJ (2016) A large increase in US methane emissions over the past decade inferred from satellite data and surface observations Geophys. Res. Lett.:1944-8007 DO - 10.1002/2016GL067987
USCGRP, National Climate Assessment 2014: Human Health http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/human-health
Zavala-Araiza, 2015 Reconciling divergent estimates of oil and gas methane emissions.PNAS 112 (51): 15597-15602 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1522126112
Caulton, D. R., et al. (2014),Toward a better understanding and quantification of methane emissions from shale gas development, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 111(17),6237–6242, doi:10.1073/pnas.1316546111.
Harvey, S. Leaking Profits: The U.S. Oil and Gas Industry Can Reduce Pollution, Conserve Resources, and Make Money by Preventing Methane Waste. NRDC Report March 2012, http://www.nrdc.org/energy/leaking-profits.asp
Heath, G. “U.S. Natural Gas System Methane Emissions: State of Knowledge from LCAs, Inventories, and Atmospheric Measurements.” Presentation at Colorado State University on April 7, 2014.
Helmig Highly Elevated Atmospheric Levels of Volatile Organic Compounds in the Uintah Basin, Utah Environ. Sci. Technol., 2014, 48 (9), pp 4707–4715 DOI: 10.1021/es405046r
ICF March 2014 Economic Analysis of Methane Emission Reduction Opportunities in the U.S. Onshore Oil and Natural Gas Industries, https://www.edf.org/energy/icf-methane-cost-curve-report
Macey, G. Air concentrations of volatile compounds near oil and gas production: a community-based exploratory studyEnvironmental Health 2014, 13:82 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-13-82
McKenzie, L Birth Outcomes and Maternal Residential Proximity to Natural Gas Development in Rural ColoradoEnviron Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1306722 2014
McKenzie, L. Human health risk assessment of air emissions from development of unconventional natural gas resources, Science of the Total Environment 424 (2012) 79–87, 2012. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22444058
Miller, S. M., et al. (2013),Anthropogenic emissions of methane in the United States, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 110(50),20,018–20,022, doi:10.1073/pnas.1314392110.
Pacsi, AP Regional Ozone Impacts of Increased Natural Gas Use in the Texas Power Sector and Development in the Eagle Ford Shale Environ. Sci. Technol., 2015, 49 (6), pp 3966–3973 DOI: 10.1021/es5055012
Schneising, O. (2014), Remote sensing of fugitive methane emissions from oil and gas production in North American tight geologic formations. Earth's Future, 2: 548–558. doi:10.1002/2014EF000265
Turner , AJ (2016) A large increase in US methane emissions over the past decade inferred from satellite data and surface observations Geophys. Res. Lett.:1944-8007 DO - 10.1002/2016GL067987
USCGRP, National Climate Assessment 2014: Human Health http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/human-health
Zavala-Araiza, 2015 Reconciling divergent estimates of oil and gas methane emissions.PNAS 112 (51): 15597-15602 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1522126112