Early air quality readings at Ohio drilling site show clear air

Monitoring at a shale gas drilling site near a wildlife preserve in Muskingum County, Ohio shows the air is remaining clean, according to a release from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Data has been collected at the location since April 2012.

The Ohio EPA is managing observation near The Wilds and will continue doing so for two years. The government agency is recording levels of particulate matter (PM), methane and other hydrocarbons associated with drilling.

No violations of the federal PM2.5 standard has been recorded. Concentrations of PM10 exceeded standards by 150 micrograms on June 8, 2012, a single incident that the Ohio EPA says may be due to temporary construction that took place on a nearby road.

Image: A grasslands praire in The Wilds conservation park near the gas drilling and air monitoring site (Credit: USDA, via Flickr)