The document discusses several studies that have been conducted on air quality related to Barnett Shale natural gas production. The studies found that emissions were low and did not exceed health screening levels, and that concentrations decreased rapidly with distance from emission sources. One study of over 15,000 data points in Fort Worth found no pollutants above health standards. The TCEQ inventory also found actual emissions to be much lower than their estimates.

1. Ed Ireland, Ph. D.
Executive Director

2. Barnett Shale Energy Education Council
 BSEEC is an association of energy producers, pipeline
companies and related energy vendors committed to
promoting energy education and best practices as it relates to
oil and gas leasing, drilling, production, transportation and
marketing in the Barnett Shale.
 BSEEC is a non-profit, community resource.
 Web site is at bseec.org .
 BSEEC member companies account for over 85% of the
natural gas production in the Barnett Shale.

4. Source: U.S. DOE, April 2011

5. Economic Impact of Barnett Shale Activities:
The Perryman Group Report released
September 27, 2011
• “The 2011 total effect of Barnett Shale activity includes $11.1
billion in annual output and 100,268 jobs in the region.”
• “For the state as a whole, Barnett Shale activity leads to
estimated 2011 gains in output of almost $13.7 billion and
119,216 jobs.
• “Approximately 38.5% of the incremental growth in the
economy of the region over the past decade has been the
result of Barnett Shale activity.
• “The overall economic contribution of this phenomenon now
constitutes about 8.5% of the local business complex.”

6. Economic Impact of Barnett Shale
Activities: The Perryman Group Report
• In 2011, counties, cities and school districts in the region will
receive some $730.7 million in additional fiscal revenues due
to Barnett Shale and related activity.
• The State will receive another $911.8 million for a total gain
in local and State taxes of an estimated $1.6 billion.
• Over the entire 2001-2011 period, local taxing entities
received an additional $5.3 billion in tax receipts with another
$5.8 billion to the State.

7. Economic Impact of Barnett Shale
Activities: The Perryman Group Report
• “Even though activity was virtually nonexistent 10 years ago,
the Barnett Shale’s effects are now larger than other, long-
time sources of economic success in the Metroplex: 5%
higher than that of aircraft manufacturing, 10% larger than
air transportation (including Dallas Love Field, Dallas/Fort
Worth International Airport and Fort Worth Alliance Airport)
and 83% larger than motor vehicle manufacturing.”
• Only a small proportion of total estimated production has
occurred to date and the Barnett Shale is expected to
continue to generate economic stimulus for local area and
state economies for decades to come.”

8. Air Studies in the Barnett Shale
• BSEEC/TITAN Engineering study
• Continuous long-term TCEQ monitors
• Flower Mound/Kleinfelder air testing
• Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics
Research Center/Desert Research Institute
• City of Fort Worth/ERG study
• TCEQ Barnett Shale Special Emissions
Inventory and the (ozone) State
Implementation Plan

9. BSEEC/Titan Engineering Ambient
Air Study, June 2010

10. BSEEC/TITAN Engineering Study
“Based on the results of this study and the health
effects criteria employed, TITAN concludes that
harmful levels of benzene and other pollutants
are not being emitted from natural gas sites in
the study area.”
– Doug Canter, P.E, Principal, TITAN Engineering

11. TCEQ Continuous Air Monitors

13. These monitors have collected 113,740 air samples

14. Source: Powell Shale Gas Daily

15. Statement by Keith Sheedy of TCEQ
What We Are Finding
“Based on the DFW AutoGC data at our
ambient air monitoring stations, we are not
seeing an increase in benzene levels over
typical background levels.”

16. Air Studies in Flower Mound
conducted by Kleinfelder

17. Flower Mound/Kleinfelder Study
“…concentrations appear to be consistent with
published background ambient air
concentrations…”
“No VOC noted exceeded the AMCV or ESL
criteria”

18. “Monitoring of Emissions from Barnett
Shale Natural Gas Production Facilities
for Population Exposure Assessment”
conducted by Desert Research Institute
for Mickey Leland National Urban Air
Toxics Research Center

19. Mickey Leland/DRI Study
Findings
Initial hypothesis was that a problem existed;
conclusions showed no problem found
“The average concentrations of species …were low,
generally below 1 ppb.”

20. Mickey Leland/DRI Study
Findings
“There was a steep, exponential decrease in
emission concentrations from the site closest to
an emission source.”
“The concentrations of emissions from the tank
decreases to near background levels at the
distance of approximately 100 meters.”

21. Mickey Leland/DRI Study Findings
1.0 is the maximum
relative value for each
compound. None of
the averages exceeded
the ESL.
Source: Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research
Center Air Quality Study, July 2010

22. City of Fort Worth Natural Gas Air
Quality Study, July 13, 2011

23. Headline in Fort Worth Star Telegram
July 15, 2011
“Air quality study finds no major health
threats”

24. ERG’s Stated Purpose of the Study
“ERG began field testing in August 2010. The study included
sampling at 388 gas well and gas transportation sites
(including more than 1,000 active wells and more than 1,200
storage tanks). ERG was able to capture emissions samples
from all stages of the gas production process.”
“In the end, the study included unannounced up-close point
source testing, ambient air monitoring, air dispersion modeling,
a public health evaluation, a regulatory assessment and full
build-out estimates.”

25. Major Points of the study’s findings:
• “Ambient air monitoring, which included analysis of more
than 15,000 data points, revealed no site-related pollutants
above health-based screening levels established by the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).”
• “For the overwhelming majority of sites considered in this
study, the modeling results indicate that Fort Worth’s 600-foot
setback distance is adequate to protect public health.”

26. ERG Major Findings continued:
• A total of 2,126 emission points were identified in the four-month field
study with the Infrared (IR) Camera and Toxic Vapor Analyzer (TVA)
• While 96 sites had no detectable emissions with the infrared camera,
when emissions were detected, the primary sources were tank thief
hatches, pneumatic valve controllers, tank vents and natural gas pressure
regulators.
• More than 130 sites that included compressors were visited. Of those,
five particular sites may have overall emission rates that exceed regulatory
thresholds that are supposed to trigger certain TCEQ permitting
requirements. The emissions from these compressor sites were calculated
using the best information available from the EPA.

27. TCEQ Barnett Shale Special
Inventory

28. TCEQ Special Inventory
• Phase One (due June 16, 2010) required all companies
operating in the Barnett Shale to detail every piece of
equipment in operation in order “to determine the location,
number and type of emission sources located at upstream
and midstream oil and gas operations associated with the
Barnett Shale formation.”
• Phase Two (due January 16, 2011) required operators to
report the annual 2009 emissions for nitrogen oxides,
volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants for
each piece of equipment reported in Phase One.

30. Phase Two Results: Actual Emissions
from Barnett Shale facilities
• In the 9-county EPA non-attainment area, actual emissions
were 23.2 tons per day in 2009. Extrapolating this using the
actual growth rate in producing wells of 0.8% yields emissions
of 23.4 TPD in 2010.
• TCEQ’s estimate which appears in their SIP is 101.8 TPD,
an over-estimate of 4.4 times.

31. Actual Emissions from Barnett Shale natural
gas facilities from Phase Two data
• Average VOC emissions per well (there were 10,675 wells
in the 9-county area) are therefore 0.8 tons per year (ERG
estimated 0.7 TPY). Each of these wells is permitted to
release 25 TPY.
• TCEQ is over-estimating VOC because their models do not
recognize the industry’s best practices of using low-bleed
pneumatic valves and vapor recovery units where
operationally appropriate. TCEQ models rely on emissions
factors from outdated and flawed studies.
• TCEQ told me that the Phase Two data will be incorporated
into the next SIP cycle.