Short-Term Air Quality in Two Pennsylvania Counties Near Marcellus Production Complies with National Standards, According to State Department of Environmental Protection

摘要

For five weeks, Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) conducted an air quality study near Marcellus Shale natural gas operations in two of the state's southwestern counties - Greene and Washington. The DEP reported on 11/1/10 that no emissions levels above national ambient air quality standards were detected at any of the surveyed sites. The air sampling surveys tested for carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone precursor emissions. The DEP's assessment also focused on concentrations of volatile organic compounds, including benzene, toluene and xylene, which are typically found in petroleum products. Despite the favorable numbers, however, the agency does not know if the potential cumulative emissions of these air contaminants would cause or contribute to violations of the national ambient air quality standards in the long term. The DEP gathered samples to provide background data at its monitoring station in Florence, Pennsylvania.