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One Barnett Shale Compressor Station Can Emit 6 Times More Toxins Than Cement Plant

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Toxic emissions from Barnett Shale gas development are not reported to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) because the oil & gas industry has broad exemptions from all our federal environmental laws, as explained in this previous post.

Known quantities in air quality
Some firms report drop in toxic release though haze still remains
Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe

…according to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality documents obtained in an open records request, a single natural gas compression facility can emit 390 tons per year of volatile organic compounds, six times greater than the volatile organic compounds emitted by a cement plant. Recent readings gathered at production facilities by both state and private inspectors show those volatile organic compounds include carcinogens and neurotoxins that are reportable to the inventory.

While other area industries have reduced their toxic releases, our air still deteriorates because gas development is escalating and fouling the air with unreported toxic releases.

This psychopathic industry ignores pleas and demands to implement affordable technology that prevents these toxic emission and better protects human health. They claim there is no proof and endlessly call for more study, a tactic straight from Big Tobacco’s play book while more people become sick. And now we learn that our unborn children’s brains could be damaged from the drilling pollution in our air.

EPA, please intervene in Texas. Require aggregation of drilling emissions and repeal all exemptions to our federal environmental laws.

About Sharon Wilson

Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.

Comments

  1. Tammi says

    I agree. If the EPA doesn't repeal all exemptions and make any new standards retro-active, the whole Barnett Shale area is in trouble. It is those already suffering from the health effects of bad air quality that need help the most.

  2. Tim Ruggiero says

    I have been traveling by plane for my job almost every week for over 10 years. I used to look out the airplane window and wonder what those white squares were out in the middle of nowhere from 36,000 feet up. Not a clue. Now that I have one of those white squares in my front yard AND back yard, I know damn well what they are now! I cringe at the thought of seeing HUNDREDS of those white squares every time I'm on a plane, now.

    The logging industry used to strip miles of land, too. But from the same plane, I can clearly see where the loggers are at least replanting trees. What are the gas companies doing? 1) Take over some unsuspecting person's property. 2)Destroy at least 5 acres of land. 3) Use old drilling rigs and other inefficient equipment, and pump massive amounts of diesel exhaust into the air. 4)Pump carcinogenic chemicals into the ground. 5) Install gas tanks, condensate tanks and other unsightly equipment. 6) Repeat.