Federal Government Targeting Methane Flaring
From frackcheckwv
Federal Government Targeting Methane Flaring
Natural Gas Flaring is Irresponsible
Federal Government Targeting Methane Flaring
From an Article by Casey Junkins, Wheeling Intelligencer, January 23, 2016
Wheeling, WV – Federal officials on Friday announced new regulations cracking down on flaring, venting and leaking of methane in natural gas drilling operations.
Natural gas producers flare or vent enough methane from public lands each year to provide service for every household in Dallas and Denver, according to the Department of the Interior. Not only does the department’s Bureau of Land Management find flaring wasteful, the agency said methane is 25 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide when it leaks into the atmosphere.
“I think most people would agree that we should be using our nation’s natural gas to power our economy – not wasting it by venting and flaring it into the atmosphere,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “We need to modernize decades-old standards to reflect existing technologies so that we can cut down on harmful methane emissions and use this captured natural gas to generate power and provide a return to taxpayers, tribes and states for this public resource.”
As the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan – aimed at curbing carbon emissions from power plants by 32 percent by 2030 – proceeds, both the EPA and Department of the Interior are targeting methane, as well. Obama administration officials want to cut methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry 45 percent by 2025.
Methane is the primary component in the consumer product commonly referred to as natural gas. In December 2014, an unknown amount of methane leaked into the atmosphere over a 10-day period when the wellhead blew off at a Magnum Hunter operation in Monroe County.
Moreover, processing plants, compressor stations and well sites throughout the Upper Ohio Valley often feature flare systems that can release methane into the air. However, the product is significantly more harmful to the environment if it is released without burning, such as in a vent or leak.
“It’s time to modernize our regulations ...
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