This past summer, U.S. EPA proposed updated air pollutant performance standards and air toxics rules for the oil production and natural gas systems. These performance standards and air toxics updates are severely overdue.
While the Clean Air Act requires that New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) be reviewed and updated, if needed, every 8 years, EPA hadn't reviewed the existing performance standards since 1985. The NESHAP had not been reviewed and updated since 1997. Nor did these standards cover most of the sources of air pollution from these industries.
Moreover, the unprecedented growth and change in this industry, with the advent of fracking, makes these revisions all the more needed. Natural Gas Systems are the largest source of methane emissions from the US. Clean Air Task Force is working to ensure that EPA's final standards (due April 3, 2012) comply with the high standards required by the Clean Air Act.
