flaring
Newsletter
New Mexico emissions loophole enables significant methane releases
New Mexico's emissions loophole has resulted in significant methane releases, challenging state climate goals.
In short:
- Targa Northern Delaware vented substantial amounts of methane due to 'emergency' loopholes in state regulations.
- These emissions were the highest since New Mexico began tracking data in 2021, significantly impacting greenhouse gas reduction efforts.
- Despite regulations, the loophole allows substantial methane releases under specific conditions deemed as emergencies.
Key quote:
“Why wasn’t this massive amount of gas routed to a flare?”
— Jon Goldstein, senior director of regulatory and legislative affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund
Why this matters:
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is more than 25 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, and its unchecked release can accelerate global warming. The issue is particularly pressing in New Mexico, where oil and gas production is a major economic driver yet a significant source of methane emissions. This situation places the state at a crossroads: how to sustain its economic engine without compromising its environmental responsibilities.
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Newsletter
Industrial plant emissions linked to health hazards, study reveals
A recent study highlights the severe health and economic impacts of flaring and venting at industrial plants, including premature deaths and exacerbated asthma cases.
In short:
- Flaring and venting activities at industrial plants are causing significant health issues, including asthma exacerbations in children and about 710 premature deaths annually.
- The study, involving researchers from Boston University and others, found that these practices cost the U.S. approximately $7.4 billion each year in health damages.
- Texas, Pennsylvania, and Colorado are the top states affected by these emissions, impacting nearly half a million Americans living close to oil and gas facilities.
Key quote:
“We know that PM 2.5 is bad for health, we know that ozone is bad for health, but to see the amount of asthma exacerbations that were attributed to nitrogen dioxide, I think that was surprising to us.”
— Erin Polka, a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University’s School of Public Health
Why this matters:
Industrial plant emissions are a significant concern for both environmental health and public well-being, contributing to a range of issues that affect ecosystems, air quality, and human health. In 2020, researchers linked air pollution from burning off excess natural gas to preterm births for babies, with the most pronounced impacts among Hispanic families.
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Newsletter
Texas continues to issue thousands of flaring permits
State regulators raise doubts about natural gas flaring permits but rarely reject them. Advocates for reform say the permit process is a “rubber stamp” and that companies shouldn’t get a free pass to keep flaring indefinitely.
Newsletter
Natural gas recapturing process promises waste reduction — but questions linger
A trio of major oil and gas producers are testing a new-to-New Mexico process to keep natural gas in the ground when it can’t be transported, sold or otherwise shipped through a pipeline.
Mia DiFelice, Robin Lesko: New Pennsylvania Shell plant brings pollution and plastic. We’re fighting back.
Shell’s plant is spewing air pollution and blowing past permit limits in Western Pennsylvania, so we're pushing to hold it accountable.
Newsletter
Texas’ methane waste accelerates climate change while squandering state revenue
While there are no federal or state regulations for methane as a greenhouse gas in Texas, the Railroad Commission — the state’s oil and gas regulator — does have regulations for when flaring is permissible and when it isn’t. But nonpermitted flaring occurs at hundreds of locations across the state.
Opinion
Dona Upson: The government is this close to reining in some of the worst air pollution
As a doctor, my ability to help my patients is limited by the air they breathe. To prevent others from suffering not just in New Mexico, but in all the states, we need stronger standards to minimize the most dangerous types of pollution.
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