OIL & GAS POLLUTION IN RURAL AMERICA

The oil and gas industry emits over 8 million tons of methane and toxic pollutants annually, contributing to ozone smog and respiratory issues in rural America. Case studies in Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Mexico highlight increased rates of asthma, cancer risks, and other respiratory ailments among residents living near facilities. The report advocates for federal standards to reduce methane emissions by half through leak detection, reduced venting, and gas capture.

• The oil and gas industry is the largest industrial source of methane pollution in the United States, emitting more than 8 million tons of methane and toxic pollutants, such as benzene, every year.
• Air pollution from the natural gas industry contributes to ozone smog, which is linked to 500,000 missed school days and 750,000 summertime asthma attacks in children.
• In Uintah County, Utah, the EPA designated the area as "nonattainment" for ground-level ozone pollution in 2018, with oil and gas operations contributing two-thirds of the pollutants.
• Washington County, Pennsylvania, is identified as the most heavily fracked county in the state as of May 2018, with over 1,600 active unconventional wells and the highest levels of VOC emissions from oil and gas development.
• In Noble County, Ohio, oil and gas production increased more than 50 times over 10 years, with some air quality sampling showing VOC levels like benzene and toluene to be "worse than downtown Chicago."
• In Reeves County, Texas, benzene emissions from oil and gas increased more than 68 times and VOC pollution increased more than six times since 2011.
• In San Juan County, New Mexico, oil production tripled over the last decade, and EPA data indicates that sector emissions increased by more than 50% between 2011 and 2014.
• The report argues that enforceable federal standards could reduce methane emissions by half through leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, minimizing equipment venting, and capturing gas to reduce flaring.

APA

Fleischman, L., Dunton, M., Eddy, N., Leiter, L., Septoff, A., & Villa, P. (2018). OIL & GAS POLLUTION IN RURAL AMERICA. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/21094520/CATF_Pub_CountryLivingDirtyAir.pdf

Chicago

Fleischman, Lesley, Molly Dunton, Nathalie Eddy, Leann Leiter, Alan Septoff, and Priscilla Villa. OIL & GAS POLLUTION IN RURAL AMERICA. Clean Air Task Force, 2018. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/21094520/CATF_Pub_CountryLivingDirtyAir.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{fleischman2018oil, author = {Fleischman, Lesley and Dunton, Molly and Eddy, Nathalie and Leiter, Leann and Septoff, Alan and Villa, Priscilla}, title = {{OIL \& GAS POLLUTION IN RURAL AMERICA}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2018}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/21094520/CATF_Pub_CountryLivingDirtyAir.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }