{"id":10373,"date":"2015-06-03T10:09:32","date_gmt":"2015-06-03T15:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=10373"},"modified":"2015-06-03T10:10:39","modified_gmt":"2015-06-03T15:10:39","slug":"reducing-drilling-pollution-wyoming-did-it-no-big-deal-will-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2015\/06\/03\/reducing-drilling-pollution-wyoming-did-it-no-big-deal-will-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Reducing Drilling Pollution\u2014Wyoming Did It, No Big Deal. Will Texas?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ozonegraph\"<\/a>The technological advances that led to the \u201cshale revolution\u201d have undoubtedly had a large economic impact on the Texas economy \u2013 something state leaders and the oil and gas industry are never shy about pointing out<\/a>. But the impact drilling has on air quality and public health, that\u2019s something energy-friendly Texas has not been so quick to recognize.<\/p>\n

When not managed responsibly, drilling operations can contribute to the formation of ozone, also commonly known as smog. At certain concentrations, this pollution can trigger asthma attacks and cause other severe respiratory illnesses.<\/p>\n

San Antonio is one place that\u2019s seeing the clear connection between drilling and lower air quality, thanks to increased drilling just south of the city from the Eagle Ford Shale region. Before 2008, ozone levels in San Antonio had been steadily dropping, but when the shale revolution hit and drilling increased, regional ozone readings started going up. \u00a0In fact, based on air quality monitor readings from the last three years, San Antonio\u2019s air quality is the 2nd<\/sup> worst in the state. \u00a0This correlation between drilling and ozone levels has been documented by The University of Texas<\/a> and the Alamo Area Council of Governments<\/a>, both of which concluded oil and gas activity in the Eagle Ford Shale is materially impacting ozone levels in San Antonio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"ozonetable\"And a federal appeals court today upheld EPA\u2019s decision to include Wise County as part of the Dallas-Fort Worth region that has been designated as an area with unhealthy smog levels. The EPA specifically pointed to oil and gas drilling in Wise County as one of the reasons it had reached those levels.<\/p>\n

This problem is not unique to Texas. In 2011, the smog in rural\u2014but drilling-heavy\u2014Pinedale, Wyoming, was worse than in Los Angeles. That got the attention of state leaders, who last year passed a rule requiring oil and gas companies in the state\u2019s most polluted region to apply pollution controls on new oil and gas facilities. Last month, the state beefed up these rules even more<\/a>, announcing it would extend them to existing sources of oil and gas pollution as well. These cost-effective pollution reduction strategies received support from not only conservation groups and local residents, but also industry. \u00a0There is no reason to think others\u2014including the energy giant, Texas, and its leading industry players\u2014couldn\u2019t do something similar to reduce ozone.<\/p>\n

Now is the time for Texas leaders to make smart decisions about the actions needed to reduce air pollution, and for Texas\u2019 oil and gas industry to step up and do its fair share to clean up the air in communities where it operates. Rigorous scientific evidence has\u00a0concluded our nation\u2019s current ozone standards are not sufficiently protecting public health, spurring EPA to consider stronger national ozone air quality standards. Due in large part to increased drilling across Texas, many counties won\u2019t meet the new standard if efforts are not made to reduce emissions from oil and gas activities.<\/p>\n

EDF has a good track record of working successfully with state regulators, leaders within the oil and gas industry, and other stakeholders. We\u2019ve sat at the table together, negotiating strong, workable oversight rules in states like Colorado, North Dakota, Ohio, Wyoming, and here in Texas. We know leading oil and gas operators want strong standards in place \u2013 because they know strong rules protect good actors, and weak rules protect bad actors.<\/p>\n

Texas may lead the nation in oil and gas drilling, but it is falling way behind other states \u2013 including other industry-friendly states like Wyoming \u2014 in protecting its residents from drilling impacts.<\/p>\n

We shouldn\u2019t have to sacrifice the quality of the air we breathe for energy production. There are cost effective solutions that clean up the air and allow for\u00a0continued energy development. Wyoming and other energy producing states are doing it, and Texas can too.<\/p>\n