Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection opened a 45-day public comment period on Feb. 4 on two general permits and revisions to an air quality permit exemption for reducing methane and other pollutants at well sites and compressor stations associated with natural gas drilling and transportation. Comments will be accepted until Mar. 21, it said.
The proposals were drafted after discussions with industry stakeholders, environmental professionals, and residents over the past year, following Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) January 2016 announcement of an initiative to improve air quality and help businesses reduce lost emissions.
“The next step is to solicit additional feedback from stakeholders and the public so that we can ensure that the needs of Pennsylvania’s residents and industries are met,” DEP Acting Sec. Patrick McDonnell said on Feb. 6.
The proposed General Permit 5A (GP-5A) and the revised General Permit 5 (GP-5) establish updated Best Available Technology (BAT) requirements for the industry regarding air emission limits, source testing, leak detection and repair, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for the applicable air pollution sources, the agency said.
Facilities that would be regulated under the new GP-5A include unconventional gas well site operations and remote pigging stations above the exemption threshold, which are used for maintenance on pipelines and are not at another gas facility. The proposed GP-5 revisions would affect compressor stations, transmission stations, and processing plants, DEP said.
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