These are natural hydrocarbons and components of natural gas, i.e. The concerns that gave rise to these new regulations were emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), benzene, and methane in the initial, uncaptured flow of gas. So why the need for EPA regulations when companies were already making these changes on their own? The percentage of green completions was also, undeniably, trending upward. This way, companies can separate out the natural gas and flow it into the pipeline from the very beginning.īefore these regulations, half of all completions were already using green completion technology, primarily as a way to capture and sell more of the gas. Green completions use special equipment that can filter out the sand before the mixture goes into the conventional equipment. What the EPA and environmentalists don’t like about this process, is that while the well is flowing to the lined-pit, the gas is escaping into the air rather than going into a pipeline. Conventional equipment cannot handle the abrasive sand-because it erodes the metal components-so companies let the mixture flow into a plastic-lined pit until the sand concentration is low enough to use the conventional equipment. Immediately after a well is fracked, the mixture that flows back up to the surface includes water, sand, natural gas, and other hydrocarbons. The new regulations focus on “green completions” (“completions” refers to the whole well-stimulation process, including fracking). At worst, they might cause delays and other unintended consequences. At best, they codify existing industry practices. Surprisingly, the 588 pages of regulations don’t amount to much. Those tests were not mandatory and there is no indication that they were carried out.This past Wednesday, the EPA released new regulations on hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”). scientists recommended additional testing. scientists pointed to preliminary evidence that, under some conditions, the chemicals could “degrade in the environment” into substances akin to PFOA, a kind of PFAS chemical, and could “persist in the environment” and “be toxic to people, wild mammals, and birds.” The E.P.A. In a consent order issued for the three chemicals on Oct. The records, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by a nonprofit group, Physicians for Social Responsibility, are among the first public indications that PFAS, long-lasting compounds also known as “forever chemicals,” may be present in the fluids used during drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The E.P.A.’s approval of the three chemicals wasn’t previously publicly known. in 2011 approved the use of these chemicals, used to ease the flow of oil from the ground, despite the agency’s own grave concerns about their toxicity, according to the documents, which were reviewed by The New York Times. For much of the past decade, oil companies engaged in drilling and fracking have been allowed to pump into the ground chemicals that, over time, can break down into toxic substances known as PFAS - a class of long-lasting compounds known to pose a threat to people and wildlife - according to internal documents from the Environmental Protection Agency.
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