PA DEP Plans to Hassle Marcellus Industry with New Methane Rules

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high-cost-low-benefitIn May of this year, the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued more shale-killing regulations. The EPA issued 600 pages of new regulations that require drillers to install expensive new equipment to locate so-called fugitive methane that may or may not be leaking from wells, pipelines, etc. (see EPA Does it Again: Tries to Destroy O&G with New Methane Rule). If the industry finds such microscopic amounts of methane, they need to capture it. All in the name of preventing non-existent man-made global warming. Not long after, 15 states sued the EPA to block the new rule (see 15 States File Lawsuits to Block EPA O&G Methane Rule). Some Congressman are not happy either (see Congressmen Blast EPA Over New Methane Regulations). Even though the court case and a new incoming administration that has pledged to drain the EPA swamp casts doubt as to whether the new methane rule will ever go into effect, Pennsylvania (under Democrat Tom Wolf) is pushing forward with plans to comply with the disastrous EPA methane rule. Wolf’s Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) will soon unveil new permit requirements for Marcellus drillers that are sure to raise the cost of drilling and consequently cut down on drilling in the state, just at the time the state needs more drilling. The next election for PA governor can’t come quick enough…

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