The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release some new air pollution regulations surrounding natural gas development. Earthjustice Attorney Robin Cooley saysit’s been 25 years since the E-P-A last evaluated standards and the new ones are overdue. She says the industry is much different than it used to be.
"We know that the current rules are inadequate. They don't protect public health. The pollution problems are mounting by the day and expanding into new areas."
Cooley says she hopes the E-P-A consider rules adopted by Wyoming and Colorado that require the capturing of emissions before they escape into the air. Wyoming’s Congressional delegation has said it opposes federal regulations believing that such regulations are more appropriate at the state level. Some believe that the EPA may also release some rules concerning fracking, something most industry officials oppose.
