We Can’t Wait -Time to #CutMethane in PA
When we think about the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, most people immediately think about carbon dioxide being emitted from coal-burning power plants. But did you know that methane is 86 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide in the short term?
Methane is the primary component of natural gas, which Pennsylvania has increasingly been turning to as a cheaper fossil fuel alternative to coal. Methane gas leaks from every stage in the natural gas supply chain – from extraction, to processing, to transportation. In Pennsylvania, the nation’s second-largest producer of natural gas, the oil and gas industry leaks over 100,000 metric tons of methane into the air annually. That’s the climate equivalent of running two coal-fired power plants for a year just from leaked methane.
What’s more, everywhere methane leaks it is accompanied by other toxic pollutants, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs include carcinogens like benzene, toxins that can damage the lungs, heart, liver, or brain, and compounds that form smog, which exacerbates respiratory disease. The people who live closest to gas facilities face the highest health risks, but even those who live far away downwind are impacted as air pollution travels across the state. Earlier this year, our partner organizations Earthworks and Clean Air Task Force developed a mapping tool to visually represent the health threats presented by oil and gas facilities. You can visit that map and look up your own address at www.oilandgasthreatmap.com.
Governor Wolf campaigned on a promise to limit methane pollution. Earlier this month, Governor Wolf and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) took the first step towards fulfilling that promise by proposing a plan to reduce methane pollution from new facilities. Without additional action to reduce methane pollution from existing facilities, however, Pennsylvania’s air will continue to be as dirty as ever. It took two long years for Governor Wolf to get the ball rolling on methane standards. Now we need him to finish the job as quickly as possible. That’s why the Council has been hard at work all year letting the Governor how much Pennsylvanians like you care about public health and the environment.
This fall, we’ve been collecting stories, social media selfies, and letters from Pennsylvania residents who want to see tough measures to slash methane pollution in Pennsylvania. Looking forward to the new year, we’ll be working to get our members and volunteers to attend DEP meetings, to meet with their representatives, and to keep those stories, social media selfies, and letters coming. With the support of people like you who believe in protecting public health and the environment, we’re hopeful that the Governor will release the next part of his methane standards next year. As we push for the transition to a clean energy economy based on zero-emitting forms of energy, it’s critical that we fight to protect the health of people who already live near polluting oil and gas facilities.
If you’d like to lend your voice to stop methane pollution in Pennsylvania, please visit www.cleanairpa.org or email Eva at eroben@cleanair.org.
