From: James Kotcon <jkotcon@wvu.edu>
To: dfvet@aol.com; DSGJr@aol.com; jbc329@earthlink.net; Leslee McCarty
<lesleemac1@frontier.com>;
Nicole Good <nicolegood.wv@gmail.com>; ec@osenergy.org; Mary@yahoo.com
Sent: Thu, January 27, 2011 12:26:24
PM
Subject: [EC] EPA: Methane
emissions from Marcellus wells greater than previously
reported.
The initial press story I saw was Tuesday, but it
appears the story may
be a couple months old by now. It suggests that
methane emissions from
Marcellus wells may be 9000 times greater than
previously estimated.
Climate Benefits of Natural Gas May Be
Overstated
by Abrahm Lustgarten
ProPublica, Jan. 25, 2011, 8:34
a.m.
The United States is poised to bet its energy future on natural
gas as
a clean, plentiful fuel that can supplant coal and oil. But
new
research
by the Environmental Protection Agency—and a growing
understanding
of
the pollution associated with the full “life cycle” of
gas
production—is casting doubt on the assumption that gas offers
a
quick
and easy solution to climate change.
More available
at:
http://www.propublica.org/article/natural-gas-and-coal-pollution-gap-in-doubt
The
actual EPA report (Technical Support Document: Petroleum and
Natural
Gas Systems) was apparently released in November and is
available
at:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads10/Subpart-W_TSD.pdfIn
particular, Tables 1 and 2 (pages 8-10) describe the updates to
the
emissions factors. Those referencing "unconventional wells"
represent
some changes that are truly astronomical. If each Marcellus
well is, in
fact, leaking 177 tons of methane per well each time they
hydro-frack,
then that makes them significant sources of
emissions.
Finally, the story is explained in more lay terms in the
blog at the
site below:
http://theenergycollective.com/david-lewis/48209/epa-confirms-high-natural-gas-leakage-rates
I
recommend reading all three of these, as I think this is a game
changer for
the natural gas industry. It certainly changes the game on
the Wetzel
air permit appeal.
Jim
Kotcon
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