Don’t Take Methane out of Federal Methane Leakage Standards for Oil and Gas Infrastructure

Clean Air Council, U.S. Senator Bob Casey’s Office, the City of Philadelphia and Drexel University will speak on the importance of public health standards at the soon-to-be-vacated EPA offices.

When: Wednesday, June 26th, 2019, 10AM-11AM

Where: Former EPA Region 3 Headquarters, 1650 Arch St (Southeast Corner of Arch and 17^th)

Who:

• Ebony Staton Weidman, Southeast Regional Director, U.S. Senator Bob Casey
• Christine Knapp, Director of the Office of Sustainability, City of Philadelphia
• Pete Decarlo, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering, Drexel University
• Matt Walker, MURP, Advocacy Director, Clean Air Council

Clean Air Council, U.S.Senator Bob Casey, the City of Philadelphia and Drexel University are all working toward protecting existing public health standards from the Trump Administration’s dangerous proposed modification to rules that reduce methane pollution from oil and gas operations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led by fossil fuel lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, is about to propose the complete elimination of methane controls from these standards.

Methane is 86 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over a 20-year time period and responsible for a quarter of the global warming that we are experiencing today. The natural gas industry is the largest industrial source of methane emissions in the U.S. Pennsylvania is the second largest natural gas producing state in the nation. Pollution from natural gas facilities hundreds of miles away can travel to Philadelphia, exposing residents to harmful ozone smog pollution. In addition, methane in the atmosphere traps heat and causes prolonged periods of extreme temperatures, which exacerbates the amount of ozone and other harmful pollutants in the air, especially in cities like Philadelphia. In 2018, Philadelphia had twelve ozone action days, where it was unhealthy for seniors and children to breathe. Decreasing methane emissions and preserving existing methane pollution standards are integral to avoiding the worst effects of climate change.

CONTACT: Russell Zerbo, advocate, rzerbo@cleanair.org 215-567-4004 ext. 130