Natural gas air emissions down in Penn.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has announced that emissions for the unconventional drilling industry, such as natural gas production and processing facilities, have gone down considerably in the state in recent years.

Operators at over 200 Pennsylvania unconventional wells and compressor stations reported data indicating that emissions from the drilling and transmission processes of shale gas development have improved since natural gas production became more common several years ago.

The decline in harmful air emissions for the unconventional drilling industry coincides with state-wide declines. Since 2008, the DEP reports show that nitrogen oxide emissions have fallen 43,000 tons per year, sulfur dioxide emissions have decreased by over 500,000 tons per year and fine particulate matter and volatile organic compound emissions are also down.

Image: Pennsylvania map showing state shale wells (Credit: DEP)