Energy Environmental Blog

Fort Worth Air Study

Written by Greg Russell | Jul 18, 2011 11:17:39 AM

We've reported previously on studies of air emissions from natural gas sites in the Fort Worth, TX, area (see here, e.g.).The city of Fort Worth recently released the final report on a study focused on air pollution issues surrounding natural gas exploration in the area, finding:

While Fort Worth residents are exposed to these and other pollutants released from natural gas sites, the measured and estimated air pollution levels did not reach levels that have been observed to cause adverse health effects.  Further, the measured benzene and formaldehyde levels in Fort Worth were not unusually elevated when compared to levels currently measured by TCEQ elsewhere in Texas.

For more, including a copy of the report, see here.

[Update:  The Fort Worth Star-Telegram finds that the study is not credible when it comes to its criticisms of compressor emissions because it relied solely on modeling of what could happen, rather than what actually happens, in the field.  Interesting.]