EPA proposes air standards for oil and gas production

Noting that more than 25,000 new and existing U.S. natural gas wells are hydraulically fractured or re-fractured every year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new Clean Air Act (CAA) standards to control emissions from these operations. The agency said that the proposed standards include limits that would result in a 95% reduction in the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from natural gas exploration and production operations. According to EPA, these reductions would principally be accomplished through the capture of natural gas that otherwise would escape into the air. The VOC reductions are expected to address ozone non-attainment problems in many areas where oil and gas production is taking place.