EARTHblog

Unsurprisingly, the oil and gas industry celebrated when the Trump administration’s announced their latest action to gut common sense safeguards that cut methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. Their recent announcement gives the oil and gas industry a… More »

Priscilla Villa co-authored this blog with Lauren Pagel On July 30th, Mexico released their new proposed safeguards to reduce oil and gas air pollution — specifically methane and associated toxic volatile organic compounds. These new standards are stronger than anything… More »

Two weeks ago, the House passed a national defense funding bill with a nasty rider completely unrelated to the security of our country: if it becomes law, any proposal to dig up a “critical” mineral would enjoy an expedited permitting… More »

On Friday, I hosted our first webinar for Earthworks' members who want to increase their influence over both politicians and political decisions, and regulations. You can see a recording of my presentation here:

The first week of President Trump’s administration has been replete with new Executive Orders that do more harm than good to our country. Two of these orders could cause direct harm to our air, water and public health. The first, which attempts to push through the Dakota Access and the Keystone XL pipeline, threatens Native American tribes, farmers and communities along the pipeline route, as well our climate. 

Today, the Obama administration released its proposed rule to limit air pollution from fracking and other oil and gas operations. The Methane Pollution Standard is the first limits on methane emissions from new and modified facilities including well pads, compressor station, storage facilities and other infrastructure

Today, the Senate is voting on amendments to the Keystone XL Pipeline Act. The bill itself, bill number S. 1, is a bad piece of legislation. It pushes the Keystone XL pipeline through – a pipeline that will harm our climate, threaten aquifers and harm nearby communities.  Luckily, President Obama has already threatened to veto this ill-conceived bill. 

Yesterday, the Obama administration came out with its plans to regulate methane from oil and gas wells. These rules will be the first of their kind, and underscore two of the most important problems with fracking-enabled oil and gas production -- its impact on the climate and its impact on human health. 

Oil and gas operations across the country are a major source of air pollution of all types. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), coupled with nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (together known as NOx) and sunlight, produce ozone, which is hazardous to human health and can cause premature death. Exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas, found in many shale oil and gas formations, can cause difficulty in breathing and eye and throat irritation. High levels of exposure can be fatal.