May 7, 2016 2 min read

A recent Observer-Reporter editorial, “Reducing Methane Emissions Makes Sense,” from April 19, failed to acknowledge the clear fact that shale-related methane emissions continue to plummet as natural gas production sharply climbs.

According to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, methane emissions tied to natural gas development have fallen 13 percent from 2012-2013. Likewise, data from the Environmental Protection Agency indicates there has been an 81 percent decrease in hydraulic fracturing-related methane emissions since 2012. What’s more, University of Colorado experts have found that Marcellus Shale operations have the lowest methane emissions of major oil and gas producing fields in the United States, which reflects the industry’s commitment to protecting our environment and the commonwealth’s modernized regulations.

And, thanks to greater natural gas use, America has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions more than any developed country to a 25 year low, according to federal data. The United States may be the only developed country in the world that has made significant reductions to CO2 emissions, all made possible through greater use of natural gas in power generation. These positive environmental gains are being driven by the industry’s cutting-edge innovations coupled with Pennsylvania’s strong, commonsense regulations.

The science and data are both clear: natural gas development is a well-regulated practice, is already responsible for lowering emissions and as a result, is delivering significant environmental benefits to us all. Additional, burdensome regulations and even higher energy taxes, however, will hurt local jobs and provide little to no environmental benefit.

David Spigelmyer

Pittsburgh

Spigelmyer is the president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a shale development trade association.