Ohio EPA Issues Revised General Air Permits For Horizontal Drilling Sites Requiring More Aggressive Methane Leak Detection and Repair

As reported by the Akron Beacon Journal Online on April 4, 2014, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency issued revised general permits for the installation and operation of air contaminant sources at oil and gas horizontal well sites to address methane gas released from valves, connectors and other equipment.  Under the new permits, operators are required to scan all the equipment at a well site on a quarterly basis for any leaks of hydrocarbons.  The purpose of the new permits is to quickly identify and correct potential gas leaks at well sites and to prevent unnecessary emissions.  Colorado and Wyoming have recently adopted similar air emissions requirements.