Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Play

Nashville mourns six dead in the latest mass shooting, the EPA takes public input on a proposal to clean up Pennsylvania's drinking water, and find ways to get more Zzz's during Sleep Awareness Month.

Play

A shooting leaves six dead at a school in Nashville, the White House commends Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to pause judicial reform, and mayors question the reach of state and federal authorities over local decisions.

Play

Finding childcare is a struggle everywhere, prompting North Carolina's Transylvania County to try a new approach. Maine is slowly building-out broadband access, but disagreements remain over whether local versus national companies should get the contracts, and specialty apps like "Farmers Dating" help those in small communities connect online.

New EPA Methane Rules Could Translate to PA Jobs

Play

Friday, December 16, 2022   

New rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency would require regular inspections of all methane-emitting oil and gas production sites throughout the country. In Pennsylvania, groups that support the rules say they'll open the door for more jobs in the natural-gas industry.

Isaac Brown, executive director of the Center for Methane Emission Solutions, noted there is a market now for technologies and companies to help energy producers address emissions, which means they'll need more workers.

"Jobs can be created to help companies comply with these rules," he said, "but because these rules will result in more product being saved that can be brought to market, producers can also actually see their profits increase."

The new rules are meant to supplement the comprehensive rules to capture more methane from leaks and flaring at well sites that the Biden administration released last year.

John Walliser, senior vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, explained that methane has more than 80 times the global-warming power of carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere - so curbing emissions is a way to slow climate change. He said that's important for Pennsylvania in several ways, because of the high number of wells in the state.

"The first is that the rule ensures that consistent leak detection and repair standards are applied at well sites," he said, "particularly for those that have equipment known to malfunction and cause fugitive emissions."

He said the rule will also require that operators monitor and report on low-producing or abandoned well sites until they are properly plugged and closed.

Walliser added that the EPA rules will mean other harmful pollutants are curbed as well as methane because of the more sophisticated technologies that will be used. He said that will also ensure methane can be captured and sold instead of escaping into the air.

"When you prevent fugitive emissions, you're preventing the waste of these resources, and that leads to cost savings, both for the oil and gas operators themselves as well as energy consumers," he said. "The other benefit we see for Pennsylvania is that it's going to help drive new technologies and the growth of businesses here in the state, in the methane-mitigation space."

He said several service and manufacturing firms already are located in Pennsylvania, and many are small businesses that can take advantage of these new opportunities.


get more stories like this via email
Black Americans are the most likely to suffer from insufficient sleep. (ChadBridwell/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

March is Sleep Awareness Month and health experts say Americans are not getting enough of it. United Health Foundation data found more than 32% of …


Social Issues

This month marks 160 years since the first Medal of Honor was awarded by President Abraham Lincoln. More than a dozen of the 65 recipients alive …

Social Issues

160 years ago, Civil War soldiers were awarded the first Medals of Honor. Now, a Medal of Honor Monument will soon be built on the National Mall in …


A 2021 Congressional report said tens of thousands of COVID-19 infections, as well as hundreds of worker deaths, were traced to meatpacking plants in the United States at the onset of the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

The meat processing industry continues to face scrutiny over labor practices in states like Minnesota. Proposed legislation would update a 2007 law…

Social Issues

New findings suggest health effects stemming from child maltreatment can be passed on to the next generation. In South Dakota, leaders in early-…

The average annual pay for a fast-food worker in the U.S. is $27,040 a year, or approximately $13.00 an hour, according to ZipRecruiter. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle will pay workers at its former location in Augusta, Maine as part of a settlement over labor law violations…

Environment

One Arizona mayor is among the more than 2,800 elected city officials in Washington, D.C., this week for The National League of Cities' Congressional …

Environment

Congress is considering three bills that would sidestep the Endangered Species Act to de-list the Northern Continental Divide and Yellowstone grizzly …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021