{"id":17231,"date":"2018-02-21T17:54:24","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T22:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=17231"},"modified":"2018-02-21T18:12:47","modified_gmt":"2018-02-21T23:12:47","slug":"oil-and-gas-front-group-fails-to-read-fine-print-on-climate-pollutionagain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2018\/02\/21\/oil-and-gas-front-group-fails-to-read-fine-print-on-climate-pollutionagain\/","title":{"rendered":"Oil and gas front group fails to read fine print on climate pollution\u2026again"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, EDF released a new analysis<\/a>, based on current, peer-reviewed science<\/a>, that estimates methane emissions from Pennsylvania\u2019s oil and gas sites are nearly five times higher than what industry reports to the state\u2019s Department of Environmental Protection. If you look strictly at emissions from unconventional well sites \u2013 emissions are twice as high as what companies report.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For the analysis, EDF reviewed on-the-ground, site-level data collected from Pennsylvania gas sites by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, and compared that with the methane emissions companies report to the state. (Note: conventional wells are not required to report pollution.)<\/p>\n

The findings caught the attention of\u00a0scientists<\/a> who have been studying methane in the region, and who confirmed EDF\u2019s analysis lines up with what they have observed in the field.<\/p>\n

It also got the attention of the industry front group, Energy In Depth, that tried to discredit the analysis by arguing we should instead reference findings from a \u201cmore recent and comprehensive study<\/a>\u201d (conducted by the same researchers) which, they say, shows emissions are 40% lower.<\/p>\n

But when you take a closer look at the 2017 study, it actually confirms <\/em>EDF\u2019s analysis. Table 5 on page 27<\/a> of the study indicates Pennsylvania oil and gas sites emit 58,800 kilograms of methane every hour. When you extrapolate that to see industry\u2019s annual emissions \u2013 you get 515,088 metric tons of methane, a figure consistent to EDF\u2019s analysis.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first time we\u2019ve seen these nonacademic industry front groups misinterpret data.<\/p>\n

We saw it last month<\/a> when Texans for Natural Gas incorrectly assessed EPA data to draw erroneous conclusions about methane emissions declining in Texas. But again, when you read the fine print of EPA\u2019s pollution data (which served as the basis for the group\u2019s argument) it doesn\u2019t actually include any information about emissions from drilling sites and other major pollution sources.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There are a number of other industry misinterpretations that don\u2019t even bear repeating. What does deserve attention are the actual facts about Pennsylvania\u2019s methane pollution.<\/p>\n