skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Study: Methane Emissions Far Higher than Reported

play audio
Play

Friday, February 16, 2018   

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Methane emissions from Pennsylvania oil and gas sites are much higher than the industry reports, according to a new study.

Conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund, the study shows that oil and gas operation in the state emit more than 520,000 tons of methane every year from leaky, outdated and malfunctioning equipment. Andrew Williams, director of regulatory and legislative affairs with EDF calls the disparity between what's reported and what the research has found "staggering."

"Oil and gas methane emissions could be as high as five times what industry reports through the state methane and greenhouse gas reporting inventories," says Williams.

He says that's as much near term climate pollution as 11 coal fired power plants.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is now finalizing methane reduction requirements for new, unconventional facilities, which are expected to reduce emissions by about three percent. According to Williams, if the state regulations included existing unconventional sources, emissions would be 25 percent lower.

He says even greater reductions could be achieved by following the lead of other states that also include conventional facilities.

"You could get essentially 60 percent of the methane emissions out of the atmosphere by comprehensively regulating oil and gas methane emissions in Pennsylvania," he says.

The DEP has not made any proposal to address pollution from older, conventional wells.

Williams notes the study also found emissions of volatile organic compounds, which contribute to smog and respiratory diseases like asthma, are nine times higher than reported to the state.

Of the study he says, "It highlights the necessity to move forward as quickly as possible to deal with not only the methane emissions, but also the volatile organic compound emissions, which really affect communities and families across the state."

The study concludes that, without additional regulatory action by the state, more than five million tons of methane pollution could be emitted by 2025.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021