The Permian Basin, and all of Texas, deserves clean air
The Problem: Pollution Protection Inequality
Oil and gas production leads to pollution which harms our health and our climate. In response to public pressure from Barnett Shale residents, the state agency that regulates air pollution–the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)--implemented a more comprehensive set of oil and gas rules to better protect residents from pollution in the oil-and-gas active Barnett Shale of North Texas.
These improved regulations, while not nearly strong enough, give North Texans some additional protections from pollutants which cause cancer, respiratory illness, and birth defects. However, these regulations DO NOT apply to the rest of Texas–we want to fix that.
Additionally, the TCEQ does not effectively monitor air pollution from the most active oil and gas regions in the country: the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale. Despite being the number one source of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet and the highest levels of volatile organic compounds in Texas, the TCEQ only operates 5 air pollution monitors in the Permian Basin region. (Houston has 45 air monitors; Dallas-Fort Worth has 28).
The Solution: Better Pollution Protections, and More Air Monitors
We demand that the TCEQ apply the oil and gas regulations of the Barnett to all of Texas.
We demand that the TCEQ increase their air monitoring for hydrocarbon pollution and particulate matter in all oilfields–especially the Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford Shale.