WATCH: New EPA Standards for Gas Industry Pollution Will Help Existing Air Monitoring Efforts

Pittsburgh, PA (December 31, 2021) Clean Air Council and its partner organizations are working hard to tell the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that Pennsylvania, and the entire nation, needs the strongest pollution standards possible to limit methane and smog-causing volatile organic compound (VOC) pollution, as well as hazardous air pollutants (HAP) like the known carcinogen benzene, from being emitted from shale gas drilling sites. The EPA’s recently proposed pollution standard for existing oil and gas facilities is unique in that the proposed rule is asking for more input from the public than usual, particularly in regard to a potential community air monitoring network that could protect communities on the frontlines of the shale gas industry. 

Please consult Clean Air Council’s suggested comment on the EPA’s new pollution standard. Comments are due January 31st. 

The EPA’s proposal for a community air monitoring network could inform residents and regulators about local air pollution in real-time, building off ongoing work that organizations like Earthworks, Protect PT and Clean Air Council are currently engaged in.

Are you noticing unwanted dust, light pollution, or even noise pollution? 

If so, Protect PT has newly launched a mobile App that may be of interest to you. This App can be used on any mobile device at report.protectpt.org 

Here, you can sign in to Protect PT’s observation portal and record your environmental grievances. Our team has put together a real simple and easy way for you to track any pollution and health impacts that could be disturbing your peace. 

Once you log your observation, the app provides resources and suggests next steps for you to take. We hope you enjoy using our new mobile app, and are happy to hear from you! Watch this instructional video describing how to use Protect PT’s local hazard reporting tool.

While Protect PT is engaging with communities in Pennsylvania’s shale fields to protect residents from the damaging effects of the gas drilling industry, Earthworks has led the charge on the use of optical gas imaging (OGI) technology to visualize previously unseen pollution from the oil and gas industry.

Watch this interview with Earthworks Pennsylvania Field Advocate Melissa Ostroff including demonstrations and explanations of OGI recordings at a variety of oil and gas facilities.

Clean Air Council, Earthworks and Protect PT are all working to empower residents impacted by the oil and gas industry to improve public health. Please tell the EPA to finalize a strong rule to limit air pollution from the gas industry that includes a real-time community air monitoring network that builds off the current efforts of Earthworks, Protect PT and other organizations.