Agencies to collaborate in natural gas drilling air impact research

On April 22, 2013, the Office of Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (“NETL”) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (“NIOSH”) entered into a memorandum of understanding to “perform collaborative research related to airborne emissions and air quality at natural gas drilling sites.” The agencies will strive to improve scientific understanding of the pollutants by identifying and monitoring the potential impact of shale gas activities on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory. Thus, NIOSH joins the U.S. Department of Energy, Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency’s team of scientists. This Multi-Agency Collaboration on Unconventional Oil and Gas Research was created through an April 13, 2012 Executive Order.

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This article was prepared by Kristen Hulbert (khulbert@fulbright.com or 713 651 5303) from Fulbright's Environmental Law Practice Group.