Last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to review federal clean air regulations that govern emissions from oil and gas production operations. This important decision is the result of legal action taken by two of NRDC's partners--WildEarth Guardians and the San Juan Citizens Alliance. These groups filed a lawsuit because EPA had failed to update federal regulations limiting air pollution from oil and gas drilling operations. Current regulations for oil and gas drilling have not kept up with the latest technological approaches to reducing air emissions--some regulations are more than 20 years old.
Oil and gas production operations release a number of harmful pollutants into the air, including pollutants known to cause harm to human health, and also those that contribute to global warming. You can read more about the settlement agreement at the WildEarth Guardians website.