(File Photo: Caption for Photo: Smoke emission from factory pipes)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is asking the public to weigh in on a federal E-P-A proposal to curb methane emissions from oil and gas sites. Methane is a greenhouse gas over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, and is thought to be a driver of climate change. Barbara Jarmoska, former head of the Responsible Decarbonization Alliance, says the E-P-A plan is built on Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act efforts. Its federal funding has been cut, but people can still review the plan and share their feedback during the public comment period. She notes the E-P-A’s proposal would decrease pollution, improve air quality and create jobs. She says leaking methane is often accompanied by other volatile organic compounds that pose serious health risks. She lives next to the Loyalsock State Forest, in the heart of Pennsylvania General Energy’s large fracking operations – so close, she says, that P-G-E tested her drinking water before drilling began. The public comment period ends July 30th.