Smog pollution threatens our health

It was once a summertime problem in cities—but now it’s spreading to rural communities year-round, thanks to fracking. It’s ozone, more commonly known as “smog,” and it’s a harmful air pollutant that causes respiratory ailments like asthma and can even lead to early, premature death.

The oil and gas industry is part of the problem, releasing smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) into our atmosphere. But you can be part of the solution.

EPA is finalizing commonsense, cost-effective guidelines to cut smog pollution, protecting communities already living with oil and gas in their backyard.

It is critical the EPA put in place rigorous protections, that comprehensively address pollution sources in these areas and don’t include loopholes or exemptions for sources like lower producing wells.

TAKE ACTION: Tell EPA to protect our communities and families from smog pollution.

President Barack Obama

Phone:(202) 456-1111
Fax:(202) 456-2461

Gina McCarthy

EPA Administrator
Email:McCarthy.gina@Epa.gov

Subject:

Your Letter:
I am writing to respectfully urge you to finalize rigorous, protective guidelines that will help minimize smog-forming emissions from oil and gas infrastructure in areas with elevated, unhealthy levels of ozone pollution. Ozone is a harmful air pollutant affecting our families and communities and the oil and natural gas sector is significant source of these smog-forming emissions. EPA has proposed guidelines to minimize smog-forming emissions from the oil and gas sector that are based on commonsense, low-cost solutions that are already being effectively deployed by states and leading companies. It is critical that EPA finalize guidelines that are rigorous, helping to protect public health while ensuring that sources in the oil and natural gas sector do their part to clean up the air. It’s also important that the guidelines require states to comprehensively evaluate potentially significant sources of pollution and do not include loopholes exempting sources like low-producing wells. I greatly appreciate EPA’s efforts to protect my health and the health and welfare of all Americans living in areas with unhealthy levels of smog pollution. I strongly support EPA’s efforts to ensure the oil and gas sector does its share to clean up this pollution and urge you to finalize rigorous, comprehensive and protective guidelines for these sources.

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Original Petition by Earthworks