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Environmental responsibility must fall to the states

Those who care about public health and the environment suffered yet another blow from Scott Pruitt’s EPA on May 26, as the agency proposed delaying federal emission standards for oil and gas companies that were set to go into effect on June 3, offering oil and gas companies yet another opportunity to undermine this crucial rule.

The New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) were unveiled under the Obama administration with the important goal of reducing emissions of methane and other toxic air pollutants. Under the standards, oil and gas companies would be required to detect and repair leaks from new sources of emissions in fracking operations.

Common sense would dictate that natural gas companies should be accountable for the toxic air pollution they release into our communities every day, unless, it seems, you’re Scott Pruitt and the EPA under President Trump.

At stake is the health of Pennsylvania communities. We’re the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country, and newly-reported data from the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) paints an alarming picture of air pollution in our state.

Emissions from natural gas operations in Pennsylvania increased by 28 percent between 2014 and 2015, while natural gas production increased by just 12 percent.

There are more than 830 active natural gas wells in Lycoming County alone, and pollution from these sites compromise the health of our community. Methane, the main component of natural gas and a harmful greenhouse gas, is accompanied by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when it’s released into the air.

These toxins are associated with increased frequency of asthma attacks, long-term damage to the lungs, and increased rates of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease for people living near oil and gas facilities.

The tools and technologies to fix the most significant sources of air pollution within the natural gas infrastructure are available. In fact, Pennsylvania is home to many methane mitigation companies that produce practical, cost-effective technologies that can significantly reduce the harmful impacts on our communities.

What is clear is that emissions are rising faster than production and voluntary efforts to cut emissions are not working. We cannot count on Scott Pruitt’s EPA to protect the health of our communities. Instead, we must fight for comprehensive regulation at the state level. Governor Wolf put a proposal on the table nearly a year and a half ago to enact strong safeguards against this rampant pollution.

All Pennsylvanians can play a role in supporting these protections and encouraging our legislators to push through needed control standards.

Tell Governor Wolf, Representative Everett and Senator Yaw that our community should not bear the public health burden of the reckless natural gas industry.

Minott is executive director and chief counsel for the Clean Air Council.

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