The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is now using helicopters equipped with infrared cameras to observe and monitor emissions from oil and gas wells in Eagle Ford. They are on the lookout for vapor leaks from open tanks and bad valves, that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Read about their helicopters here: http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/barnettshale/bshale-data
Eagle Ford News reported on the new regulations the EPA issued for the oil and gas drilling industry back in April:
http://eagleford.org/epa-regulation-will-save-oil-gas-industry-money-eagle-ford/
Air pollution is bad, no one can argue that. Having the EPA sniffing around every time an oilfield hand passes gas…. well that’s a whole other story.
The EPA has a history of using “Air Quality” to regulate and control many different industries. Environmentalists and gas industry experts alike were surprised at the unusual “hands off” attitude of the EPA in its April ruling.
Well…. It is an election year….. don’t be surprised if the federal government flexes its muscle with the new EPA rules (as their history proves) – once the election is over.
Drilling contractors and operators alike – take note… Big Brother is watching from the sky.
