Gas company in Pennsylvania begins posting real-time air quality data
CNX Resources Corporation, a leading natural gas producer in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, began posting real-time emissions facts and data on its new website, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Monday.
The new website is part of a joint commitment made by CNX and Shapiro’s administration in November to provide greater transparency to the public. Officials said the website aims to provide a comprehensive health response regarding natural gas development in Pennsylvania by publicly disclosing all chemicals the company plans to use in drilling and hydraulic fracturing before it starts breaking ground on future gas wells.
“My Administration is setting a new standard for Pennsylvania natural gas to be produced in a responsible, sustainable way,” Shapiro said in a press release. “We’re going to follow through on our commitment to reduce pollution and ensure the health and safety of our communities, while maintaining Pennsylvania’s proud energy legacy and our Commonwealth’s critical role in the nation’s energy economy.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is set to conduct an independent study of two future natural gas wells at sites proposed by CNX. The department plans to measure emissions and provide information on the chemicals being used and resulting air emissions at both locations before, during and after project development.
In the official commitment, Shapiro directs the environmental agency to pursue policy changes, such as new requirements for the disclosure of chemicals used in drilling and improved control of methane emissions aligned with the EPA’s performance standards. The governor also urged for stronger drilling waste protections, including inspection of secondary containment and corrosion protections for gathering lines that transport natural gas.
CNX’s website dedicated to public disclosure comes three years after the 43rd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury in 2020, when Shapiro was serving as state attorney general. It found that the state government failed to protect residents during a 10-year period of increased fracking throughout Pennsylvania.
The grand jury’s report included recommendations to hold the natural gas industry accountable and prioritize public health and safety, including greater public health and safety disclosures.
CNX said its transparency and real-time data collection will begin with a well pad in Washington County called NV110, but the company plans to expand the monitoring program to its operations across Pennsylvania.
