GASP Legal Work on Draft Drilling Permit Leads to Reduced Emissions

Today, we’re proud to share an air quality watchdog win out of West Deer Township – one that will mean less emissions emanating from the controversial EQT Leto Well Pad.

Back in April, we blogged about the comments we gave regarding that draft Installation Permit, pointing out that proposed emission limits on the vapor destruction units and the dehydrator flare at the Leto Well Pad did not satisfy the “Best Available Control Technology” requirement in the Allegheny County Health Department’s rules and regulations for air pollution. 

Our senior attorney John Baillie explained the facility’s permit application demonstrated that it would be capable of operating flares used to control pollution at a 98% destructive efficiency rather than the 95% that would have been allowed by the draft Installation Permit. 

We are pleased that ACHD agreed with us and revised the Installation Permit so that the facility will be required to operate its flares at a 98% destructive efficiency.  

“This prevents about a ton of volatile organic compounds per year and about 200 pounds of hazardous air pollutants per year from entering the atmosphere,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “In the big picture, these are relatively small reductions, but every bit of pollution prevention helps.”