Pa. DEP to monitor air quality near Marcellus well sites
Monday, May 2, 2016
Over the next five years, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will spend $1.56 million on expanding the agency’s air quality monitoring of Marcellus shale well sites, NPR StateImpact Pennsylvania reports.
Where shale development is heavy in the southwestern and northern parts of Pennsylvania, 10 new continuous trackers will be put in place to monitor fine particulate matter.
According to the source, monitors will be placed near gas compressor stations, which are used to process and transport natural gas from wells to pipelines.
Read more: NPR StateImpact Pennsylvania > DEP to expand air quality monitoring for natural gas sites
Related:
- Pennsylvania among drilling states that may have to meet new air pollution controls April 6, 2016
- Environmental groups ask Pa. DEP for more distance between well sites and homes, schools March 7, 2016
- Infrared camera used to show emissions from shale drilling Nov. 29, 2015
- Air pollution and the shale industry: 8 facts May 5, 2015
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.