Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania
This letter provides a first-order estimate of conventional air pollutant emissions, and the monetary value of the associated environmental and health damages, from the extraction of unconventional shale gas in Pennsylvania. Region-wide estimated damages ranged from $7.2 to $32 million dollars for 2...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2013-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/014017 |
| _version_ | 1797748456129822720 |
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| author | Aviva Litovitz Aimee Curtright Shmuel Abramzon Nicholas Burger Constantine Samaras |
| author_facet | Aviva Litovitz Aimee Curtright Shmuel Abramzon Nicholas Burger Constantine Samaras |
| author_sort | Aviva Litovitz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This letter provides a first-order estimate of conventional air pollutant emissions, and the monetary value of the associated environmental and health damages, from the extraction of unconventional shale gas in Pennsylvania. Region-wide estimated damages ranged from $7.2 to $32 million dollars for 2011. The emissions from Pennsylvania shale gas extraction represented only a few per cent of total statewide emissions, and the resulting statewide damages were less than those estimated for each of the state’s largest coal-based power plants. On the other hand, in counties where activities are concentrated, NO _x emissions from all shale gas activities were 20–40 times higher than allowable for a single minor source, despite the fact that individual new gas industry facilities generally fall below the major source threshold for NO _x . Most emissions are related to ongoing activities, i.e., gas production and compression, which can be expected to persist beyond initial development and which are largely unrelated to the unconventional nature of the resource. Regulatory agencies and the shale gas industry, in developing regulations and best practices, should consider air emissions from these long-term activities, especially if development occurs in more populated areas of the state where per-ton emissions damages are significantly higher. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:05:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-de0867dd2b53496f96002944e51ae6fa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:05:02Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-de0867dd2b53496f96002944e51ae6fa2023-08-09T14:24:36ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262013-01-018101401710.1088/1748-9326/8/1/014017Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in PennsylvaniaAviva Litovitz0Aimee Curtright1Shmuel Abramzon2Nicholas Burger3Constantine Samaras4RAND Corporation , 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90407, USARAND Corporation , 4570 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USARAND Corporation , 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90407, USARAND Corporation , 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA 22202, USARAND Corporation , 4570 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USAThis letter provides a first-order estimate of conventional air pollutant emissions, and the monetary value of the associated environmental and health damages, from the extraction of unconventional shale gas in Pennsylvania. Region-wide estimated damages ranged from $7.2 to $32 million dollars for 2011. The emissions from Pennsylvania shale gas extraction represented only a few per cent of total statewide emissions, and the resulting statewide damages were less than those estimated for each of the state’s largest coal-based power plants. On the other hand, in counties where activities are concentrated, NO _x emissions from all shale gas activities were 20–40 times higher than allowable for a single minor source, despite the fact that individual new gas industry facilities generally fall below the major source threshold for NO _x . Most emissions are related to ongoing activities, i.e., gas production and compression, which can be expected to persist beyond initial development and which are largely unrelated to the unconventional nature of the resource. Regulatory agencies and the shale gas industry, in developing regulations and best practices, should consider air emissions from these long-term activities, especially if development occurs in more populated areas of the state where per-ton emissions damages are significantly higher.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/014017natural gasMarcellus Shalecriteria pollutantsair qualityexternalities |
| spellingShingle | Aviva Litovitz Aimee Curtright Shmuel Abramzon Nicholas Burger Constantine Samaras Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania Environmental Research Letters natural gas Marcellus Shale criteria pollutants air quality externalities |
| title | Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania |
| title_full | Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania |
| title_fullStr | Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania |
| title_short | Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania |
| title_sort | estimation of regional air quality damages from marcellus shale natural gas extraction in pennsylvania |
| topic | natural gas Marcellus Shale criteria pollutants air quality externalities |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/014017 |
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