Pa. House rejection of oil and gas regulations puts funding for roads at risk
Monday, August 29, 2022
A Pennsylvania House committee recently rejected an oil and gas emissions regulation, jeopardizing over half a billion dollars in federal highway funds that could be allocated for the state’s deficient roads and bridges, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency informed the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection earlier this year that if it does not regulate the oil and gas industry to reduce emissions by Dec. 16, the Clean Air Act requires the federal government to impose sanctions on the state and withhold funds used to maintain the state’s highways. The sanctions could cost the state $500 million to $750 million in federal highway funds next year, according to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation.
The DEP had crafted oil and gas regulations, but the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee intervened to block them from going into effect at its meeting in August.
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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.