The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection released a report last week on a four-week air quality study conducted near Marcellus Shale natural gas operations in Susquehanna and Sullivan counties. The Director of the Bureau of Air Quality summarized the results of the study (which was not intended to address potential cumulative impacts of the ongoing exploration efforts) as follows: “This short-term study of the air emissions at surveyed sites shows no emission levels that would constitute a concern to the health of residents living near these operations. This study provides us with good information as part of our ongoing effort to gauge the impact these operations have on our air quality, public health and the environment.”
Yesterday, Governor Martinez of New Mexico declared a state wide state of emergency due to record-breaking cold and shortages in natural gas throughout the state and announced that the heat would be turned down in all state buildings. All non-essential employees were sent home to save natural gas and electricity. Her predecessor, Governor Richardson, had imposed a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in parts of New Mexico in 2008 and 2009.
When considered separately, both items are interesting on their own merits. When considered together, the ramifications of one for the other would appear to be more far-reaching.
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This study’s findings — a lack of health impacts from Marcellus shale operations’ air emissions — are consistent with a study of air emissions from Barnett shale operations in Texas, conducted by researchers funded by the Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center. This study was discussed in a November 2010 post on this blog, see http://sustainability-counsel.com/2010/11/29/%e2%80%9cfracking%e2%80%9d-developments-at-the-federal-level/ and the report (http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/mleland/attachments/Barnett%20Shale%20Study%20Final%20Report.pdf).
Comment by Jane Luxton February 7, 2011 @ 6:19 PM