When the air in Wyoming gets smoggier than the air in Los Angeles, you know something has gone wrong. That "something" is the oil and gas industry.
It's not just the people of Wyoming who are noticing a problem. A controversial technology called hydraulic fracturing -- or fracking -- has led to a gas drilling boom from Colorado to Pennsylvania. But federal air pollution standards are woefully outdated and do not cover most pollution sources. That means people who live near the gasfields are left with lung-burning smog and cancer-causing benzene.
But we can change that. Under a set of rules proposed by the EPA, oil and gas drillers would be required to use equipment to capture significant amounts of air pollution before it can harm public health.
There's more to be done, but this is a vital first step. Sign now, and let the EPA know that the public supports strong air quality standards.
RE: EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0505
Dear [Decision Maker],
I am writing in support of your agency's proposed rules to protect air quality from the pollution released during oil and gas development.
I stand among many thousands of Americans who support this proposal.
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Your comments will be added here]
There are numerous sensible controls for this industry that will protect public health and are particularly critical in light of the current oil and gas development boom.
These rules are an important first step. But more could be done.
In addition to reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds and cancer-causing chemicals like benzene, your agency should limit emissions of methane, a potent heat-trapping gas that leads to global warming.
According to your agency's own figures, the oil and gas industry is responsible for nearly 40 percent of all methane emissions nationwide.
It is not sufficient to trust that pollution controls designed to capture volatile organic compounds will succeed in trapping methane. A more protective approach to controlling methane emissions should be taken.
Your agency should move to finalize and strengthen these rules without delay.
