West Virginia Horizontal Drilling Air Quality Study Released
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) delivered its report on the air quality impacts occurring from horizontal well drilling and related activities to the West Virginia Legislature on June 28th. The report concluded that no additional legislation is required to minimize the health and environmental impacts of horizontal drilling operations, but noted that data from currently ongoing studies should provide additional information that will help guide future rule development. The report summarized the results of research conducted by West Virginia University, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other states’ environmental studies concerning the impacts of horizontal drilling operations on air quality.
The air quality report is the third in a series of reports required by the Natural Gas Horizontal Well Control Act of 2011 to be prepared by the DEP for the West Virginia Legislature.