Clean Air Pennsylvania

This week, Governor Wolf took an important step forward to protect Pennsylvania’s air by announcing a plan to reduce methane pollution from Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry.

Pennsylvania’s Auditor General, Eugene DePasquale, recently said in an interview that the biggest problem with the state’s oil and gas drilling boom “was there were no rules in place on the front end of this.” He continued: “There was no process. It was everyone for themselves and the state has been playing catch up ever since.” 

By Joe Minott

Pennsylvania needs your help. We’re sending Governor Wolf a petition asking him to make drilling pollution a priority. Please add your name to the list of signatures if you care about clean air and water.

By Joe Minott

At the recent debate of Democratic candidates for President, the candidates expressed a desire to move the presidential campaign away from the political hoopla and focus instead on what really matters: what Americans want and need from the next President of the United States. Americans want and need strong action on climate, which includes taking action on methane pollution.

By Joe Minott

This week, EPA released the latest data from its Greenhouse Gas Reporting program, gathered from industrial sources like the oil and gas industry. It should come of no surprise that, as we’ve been saying for some time, that the problem of air pollution from drilling is getting bigger in Pennsylvania.

Amy Nassif, of Mars, Pa. testified at an EPA hearing on methane with her daughter, Julia. Photo by Reid Frazier

By: Joe Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director

Pennsylvanians are making it known that they’re not willing to sit back quietly and let the oil and gas industry ruin their environment and air. Representatives from community and environmental groups across the state outnumbered industry representatives nearly 100 to one to testify at EPA’s public hearing in Pittsburgh on proposed federal methane regulations. Much to the dismay of gas drillers hoping to continue to pollute unchecked, Pennsylvania’s support for strong regulations on methane emissions was loud and clear.

Pam Judy, PA resident fighting for clean air, in front of a compressor station built 780 ft from her family home. Photo by Mark Schmerling

By: Joe Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director

Last week, the EPA released the first-ever rules to regulate methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that’s 86 times worse for our climate than carbon dioxide, leaks from Pennsylvania’s nearly 8,000 active fracked wells at an alarming rate of 7.3 million metric tons per year.

By: Joe Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director

It’s been a big week on the methane front. On Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled first-of-their-kind national standards to limit methane emissions from new and modified oil and gas facilities. This is a good first step in fighting methane pollution from the oil and gas industry.

By: Joe Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director

Many studies show that air pollution caused by the oil and gas industry has adverse effects on health and wellness. But just how harmful is drilling to the well being of Pennsylvanians?

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University set out to answer this question and the results—while not entirely surprising—are quite disturbing.

By: Joe Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director

When it comes to drilling in Pennsylvania, voters want one thing: accountability.

Last fall, a research firm conducted a survey of more than 800 registered voters in PA. The results found that the vast majority of those interviewed support regulations for the drilling industry to reduce methane emissions that contribute to climate change. In fact, 62 percent of respondents agreed that reducing air pollution caused by the oil and gas industry should be among Governor Wolf’s top priorities.