The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that a consent order between them and Texas oil company Permian Resources would remove smog compounds and methane from the air.
Once Permian Resources makes the federally-required changes at nine of its facilities, the EPA estimates a large drop in emissions of both volatile organic compounds and methane.
Volatile organic compounds lead to the formation of smog, which causes health issues like asthma, bronchitis, and cancer. Methane has been linked to climate change, and can also harm people.
The EPA estimates that volatile organic compound emission will decrease by 729,000 pounds, and methane emissions will fall by over 2.6 million pounds.
Permian Resources operates oil and gas facilities in, and takes its name from, the Permian gas basin in West Texas. In 2020, the EPA did a flyover of the basin, and detected violations of federal regulations regarding flares, tanks, and combustors.
As part of the order and settlement, Permian Resources will take a number of actions, including upgrades, increased inspections and reviews, and monthly monitoring of tanks, combustors, and optical gas imaging.
Correction of violations will also be conducted, some of which are site-specific and some of which are more general in nature, according to the EPA. Permian Resources will also pay the EPA a $610,000 civil penalty.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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