EPA issues air pollution rules for natural gas wells

WEATHERFORD, Texas (AP) — When a man in a Fort Worth suburb reported his family's drinking water had begun bubbling like champagne, the federal government sounded an alarm: A company may have tainted their wells while drilling for natural gas.

Environmentalists applaud the new rules but are disappointed that natural gas producers were given three years to install methane-capturing technology. The industry says the regulations are onerous.WASHINGTON — TheU.S.

The US administration overhauled rules Wednesday to cut air pollution from industrial boilers and incinerators but at almost half the price of initial plans criticized by industrial groups.US Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy said the final regulations would provide benefits similar to the previous ones but at a reduced cost."The Clean Air Act standards we are issuing today are based on the best available science and have benefited from significant public input," said McCarthy, who heads the EPA's air and radiation office.

Trefis submits: Founded in 1989, Chesapeake Energy (CHK) has grown to become the second largest producer of natural gas and one of the most active drillers of new wells in the U.S.

Trefis submits: Founded in 1989, Chesapeake Energy (CHK) has grown to become the second largest producer of natural gas and one of the most active drillers of new wells in the U.S.

By Kenneth D. Worth:Here is a long-term price chart for natural gas: (Click to enlarge) Please note that this chart is not adjusted for inflation. Adjusted for inflation, we are looking at 20-year lows in gas prices at a time when other energy prices are historically very high (oil at $120 a barrel for Brent, coal surging due to increased global demand.)

Simon Lack submits:Natural gas is a theme we’ve been following for some time. The bullish case for natural gas is well known – it burns cleaner, releasing half as much carbon as coal and 30% less than oil; it’s domestic and therefore is not subject to Middle Eastern geopolitical risk keeping more dollars in the US economy (since the U.S. possesses enough to meet its own needs for decades); and on an energy-equivalent basis it is now much cheaper than crude oil (i.e.

ByChristopher Wallace:Natural Gas production consumes literally millions of gallons of water during extraction through a process known as hydraulic fracturing or more simply, "fracking". The drought that the US is experiencing has the potential to significantly affect how much natural gas can be produced - which, in turn, has implications for the price of natural gas. Water and Fracking