Washington, D.C. (July 28) - Today, Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on proposed standards to reduce harmful air pollution from oil and gas drilling operations. These updated standards include the first federal air standards for hydraulically fractured wells and requirements for sources of pollution in the oil and gas industry that currently are not federally regulated.

“Amidst the incessant attempts by Republicans to pass laws that would make our air dirtier, today’s proposal from the EPA is a breath of fresh air. The proposal utilizes already existing technologies to dramatically reduce the amount of cancer causing air toxics released into the atmosphere by the oil and gas industry. It is a reasonable step that supports responsible oil and gas exploration and production that protects public health and welfare.”
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