Page 10 - WEB

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 10 May 2019
Report: Air quality harmed as Texas oil production booms

By DAVID WARREN maintenance and other
DALLAS (AP) — The produc- so-called "emission events."
tion of oil and natural gas in The unauthorized release
West Texas is booming but of air pollution occurs
it's coming at a cost to resi- mainly from flaring, which
dents who are regularly ex- is a way to burn gas that's
posed to unhealthy levels released, according to the
of air pollution, according report, but Levin adds that
to a report issued by an en- flaring was meant to be a
vironmental group. last resort that instead has
The Environmental Integrity "become a business model
Project noted in a report to get rid of gas that they
released Thursday that the don't know what to do
Permian Basin, which ex- with."
tends into New Mexico , is There's only one function-
one of the most productive ing air monitoring station
hydrocarbon regions in the measuring sulfur dioxide
world, thanks largely to the in the Permian Basin, the
advent over the past de- report said, and more are
cade of horizontal drilling needed to better police
and hydraulic fracturing. In the release of emissions.
another two years the ba- Sulfur dioxide forms when
sin will account for about substances containing sul-
40 percent of all U.S. pro- This Oct. 9, 2018, file photo shows an oil rig and pump jack in Midland, Texas. fur, including coal and oil,
duction , the group said. Associated Press are burned. Exposure can
But a consequence of that make breathing difficult
production is dangerous and hydrogen sulfide — is the report. The president of gy, hundreds of thousands and harm a person's respi-
levels of sulfur dioxide in the known to have serious en- the Texas Oil and Gas As- of good-paying jobs, and ratory system.
air around Odessa and oth- vironmental and public sociation said the industry billions in state and local There were at least 30 oc-
er locations, according to health consequences." group also must still review tax revenues," Todd Sta- casions from December
the report, which adds that Ilan Levin, associate direc- the report but is confident ples said. "And all of these 2016 to April of this year
pollution levels in much of tor of The Environmental In- that Permian Basin pro- have occurred while at the that sulfur dioxide levels
Ector County, where Odes- tegrity Project, said regula- duction will continue to be same time the U.S. has led measured at one location
sa is located, exceed stan- tors such as the Texas Com- viewed as a benefit to the the world in emission re- exceeded federal health
dards set by the federal mission on Environmental state and the nation. ductions, undoubtedly be- standards, according to
Environmental Protection Quality need to have strict- "Upon release to the public cause the oil and natural the report, adding that oil
Agency. er oversight of air pollution we will review the full study, gas industry is the leading and gas operators in and
"Controlling air pollution in permits while penalizing but there is no doubt that investor in zero- and low- around Ector County self-
West Texas has not been polluters who violate the the phenomenal growth of carbon technology, invest- reported 2,564 unauthor-
a priority for the state, as terms of those permits. energy production in the ing billions in advanced ized releases of air pollution
evidenced by the scarcity "It's like they're speeding Permian Basin, which has technologies that are pro- from 2014 to 2017.
of air pollution monitoring and the cops out on the elevated the United States tecting and improving our "We're calling on the regu-
stations in the Permian Ba- beat are not issuing any to become the world's top environment." lators to monitor air quality
sin," the report said. "And speeding tickets," Levin oil and natural gas pro- The report asserts that oil because they're not doing
yet, the type of air pollu- said Wednesday. ducer, is providing unde- and gas facilities are releas- that right now for vast parts
tion in the Permian Basin A spokesman for TCEQ de- niable benefits to Texas in ing large amounts of un- of the Permian Basin, es-
— dominated by excessive clined to comment, saying the form of abundant, reli- permitted pollution during pecially where most of the
emissions of sulfur dioxide the agency hadn't seen able and affordable ener- equipment breakdowns, people live," Levin said.q

Texas House OKs death penalty ban for severely mentally ill

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Passage of Democratic money by no longer litigat-
nation's busiest death- state Rep. Toni Rose's bill ing lengthy death penalty
penalty state would stop was nonetheless a mile- appeals of condemned
executing inmates who are stone just two years after inmates whose executions
severely mentally ill under her last attempt failed to would be challenged over
legislation the Republican- reach the House floor. It their mental health. She
controlled Texas House ap- would take the death pen- said they would not es-
proved Thursday, signaling alty off the table in Texas cape punishment under
a willingness to soften the for inmates who had a se- her bill because they would
state's tough stance on vere mental illness, includ- instead be sentenced to
capital punishment. ing schizophrenia or a bi- life in prison without the
The measure may not get polar disorder, at the time possibility of parole.
much farther, though. It of the crime. She addressed her Repub-
needs to pass the Senate, The U.S. Supreme Court has lican colleagues before
which is Texas' more con- ruled mentally disabled calling for a vote.
servative chamber, with people are ineligible for "This body is filled with peo-
less than three weeks left in execution, but that prohibi- ple who are pro-life," Rose
what has been a politically tion does not include those said. "If you're pro-life, be
mild session compared to who are mentally ill. pro-life from the womb to
recent years. Rose said Texas would save the tomb."q