The general practices within the oil and gas industry are coming under increased scrutiny, particularly in relation to the industry's oversight of emissions. Among the most notable points of contention is the industry's seeming reluctance, or inability, to conduct accurate monitoring of emissions from storage tanks and on-site reservoirs, which are used to hold byproducts of the drilling process. This lax approach not only causes potential damage to the environment, but also raises a raft of health and safety concerns.
1. The operations within the oil and gas industry, particularly those concerning the oversight of emissions, are being scrutinized increasingly.
2. Discontent surrounds the industry's reluctance or inability to accurately monitor emissions from storage tanks and on-site reservoirs that hold by-products of the drilling process.
3. The lack of accurate emission monitoring may lead to environmental damage, as well as health and safety concerns.
4. There are significant environmental impacts caused by these unchecked emissions, which include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) causing air pollution.
5. The negligence in monitoring these emissions could contribute to a range of harmful effects such as respiratory issues in nearby populations, acid rain, and global climate change, thereby failing to fully acknowledge or attempt to mitigate the harm caused.
In the United States, the oil and gas industry emits roughly 2.3 million tons of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, each year from storage tanks and on-site reservoirs.
These emissions, often not sought out nor calculated, can have significant environmental impacts. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are released into the air from these storage tanks, heavily contributing to air pollution. This can lead to a variety of harmful effects, ranging from respiratory issues among nearby populations to acid rain and global climate change on a broader scale. Neglecting to monitor accurately these emissions means we're not fully understanding, or attempting to mitigate, the damage we're causing.