Natural gas development is spreading like wildfire across the country. Energy companies have drilled more than 75,000 wells in the past five years, many of them on farmlands, near public schools, and in people’s backyards. These wells release benzene and other chemicals known to cause cancer. Yet energy companies aren’t obligated to clean up any of the pollution they put into the air we breathe.

 

The Obama administration is poised to change that.

It is about to establish the first-ever national limits on air pollution coming from natural gas wells, especially from wells that are fracked. This would be a major first step in protecting public health and create real improvements for families living in the midst of natural gas fields.