HEI published new report measuring and modeling air pollution and noise exposure near unconventional oil and gas development

HEI has published a new report Measuring and Modeling Air Pollution and Noise Exposure Near Unconventional Oil and Gas Development led by Dr. Jeffrey Collett at Colorado State Univerty. Collett and colleagues conducted a comprehensive two-year monitoring campaign to assess air quality and noise in a major U.S. oil and gas production region. The team measured ambient concentrations of hazardous and criteria air pollutants, greenhouse gases, and noise in Colorado’s Denver-Julesburg Basin. By leveraging well pad activity logs provided by several oil and gas companies, the team was able to correlate pollutant concentrations and noise levels with specific operational phases (e.g., drilling and hydraulic fracturing) across the life cycle of wells on four multi-well pads. To support exposure assessment and mitigation planning, Collett and colleagues developed the TRACER (TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases) model, which predicts emissions of hazardous air pollutants and other volatile organic compounds from oil and gas activities at distances relevant to nearby populations. These predictions can inform both future drilling and completion strategies and targeted interventions to reduce air quality impacts of oil and gas development.