Tell PA General Assembly to Eliminate Loophole That Leaves Half of Methane Emissions Unchecked

From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):

Fracking and oil extraction endanger our health and environment and are a major source of methane pollution — one of the biggest contributors to the climate crisis.

Fortunately, state officials put forth a proposal to reduce methane and other dangerous pollutants from oil and gas operations in Pennsylvania. But their proposal has a massive loophole that would leave over half of all methane emissions in the state unchecked.

Call on state officials to close this massive loophole today at https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=43866.

Methane is the second largest contributor to climate change behind carbon and recent data shows that Pennsylvania’s oil and gas operations emit 1.1 million tons of this dangerous climate pollutant each year.^1,2

While Gov. Wolf and the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have taken a crucial first step in proposing new standards to reduce methane and other dangerous air pollution from certain oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania, their proposal includes a massive loophole that exempts over 71,000 older gas wells from having to comply.³

As the second largest producer of fracked gas in the country, Pennsylvania has a responsibility to step up and be a national leader in reducing harmful methane and air pollution from existing oil and gas infrastructure.⁴

Call on the DEP to close this loophole today.

Let’s make sure we’re able to reap the full benefit of this proposal by closing loopholes that will allow these fossil fuel industries to continue harming our environment and putting our health at risk.

Send your message to the DEP to strengthen today.

1. “Methane Tracker 2021,” IEA, January, 2021.
2. “Explore Pennsylvania’s oil and gas pollution,” Environmental Defense Fund, Accessed June 29, 2021.
3. Christen Smith, “Southwest Pennsylvania family urges governor to broaden pending methane rule,” WFMZ, June 24, 2021.
4. Reid Frazier, “Study finds methane leaks in PA are much higher than state reports,” StateImpact Pennsylvania, May 14, 2020.