How much do you know about flaring? What about venting? And no, I don’t mean venting as in unloading on your friends or partner after a stressful day.
Flaring and venting are two common oil and gas activities that were the subject of a recent study.
Here’s a quick primer in case you need one (I did): Flaring is when excess natural gas is burned off, and venting is the pressure release of gas. Together, these activities are used intermittently or in emergencies by oil and gas operators at wells and during pipeline transport to dispose of extra natural gas—into the air. Because of the unpredictable timing of these activities, efforts to measure emissions from flaring and venting have largely been a struggle.
The study, conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute for the Environment, Boston University School of Public Health, and the Environmental Defense Fund, used satellite observations and reported data to more accurately measure emissions from flaring and venting. These emissions include not just methane—a potent greenhouse gas and significant contributor to climate warming—but also harmful air pollutants, like soot (a.k.a. fine particulate matter or PM 2.5), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and hydrogen sulfide.
The research unveiled an unsettling truth: emissions from flaring and venting pollute the air and impact our health much more than we thought.
All air pollutants measured, including soot, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide, were higher than previous estimates, with soot emissions a shocking 13–15 times higher. This translates to greater health risks, including increased asthma cases and premature death, particularly in regions with significant oil and gas production.
Hot spots for increased pollution hover over major oil and gas production fields. These include the Denver Basin, which spans eastern Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska; the Bakken Basin in North Dakota; the Permian Basin spanning Texas and New Mexico; the Uinta Basin in Utah; and the Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania.
In just one year, some 710 excess deaths in the U.S. were attributable to soot, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone compared to the baseline scenario emissions. Texas saw the highest number of premature deaths with 133. Pennsylvania followed with 115, and Colorado with 76.
Even worse, communities that have been historically marginalized were hit disproportionately harder. Of the 710 excess deaths, 1 in 3 occurred in low-income areas, 1 in 10 occurred in areas more likely to be home to Indigenous people, and 1 in 3 occurred in Hispanic or Latino communities.
Asthma rates were also higher than previous estimates indicated. The increased pollution from flaring and venting over the course of one year led to the exacerbation of more than 73,000 childhood asthma cases, more than 190 childhood asthma cases, 130 respiratory hospitalizations, and 92 childhood asthma emergency department visits. Those who live in Texas, Colorado, and Pennsylvania were, once again, hit the hardest.
Ultimately, the annual health impacts from flaring and venting emissions in the U.S. totaled a staggering $7.4 billion.
Over the last two-plus years, as EPA considered federal methane rules for oil and gas operations, Moms Clean Air Force advocated fiercely for the elimination of routine venting and flaring. The methane rule finalized in December 2023 included a provision to phase out flaring (but not venting) at all new wells over the next two years—a critical step forward.
But the data from this recent study show much more must be done to protect our health from harmful emissions related to venting and flaring. We need state and federal policies that end these dangerous practices for good.
Learn more about Moms’ work on methane.
TELL THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: PLUG DANGEROUS PIPELINE LEAKS ASAP