Clean Air

Have you noticed? In spite of more cars on the road, a growing population, and people driving more, the air is getting cleaner.

Source: EPA Air Quality Trends.

Clean air is not only important to our health, it allows us to see the great natural treasures of our country with greater clarity. The air is cleaner today, and you can see the difference!

The oil and natural gas industry has done its part to help achieve this remarkable improvement. In particular, the oil and gas industry has:

• worked with the auto industry and government agencies to develop clean burning fuels low in sulfur. These fuels have been critical for the switch to today’s smaller, fuel injected, higher compression, and more fuel efficient engines with no loss in horse power.
• introduced more efficient processes and emission control technologies that have reduced emissions at oil refineries by 36% since 1996 (source: 2008 EPA Oil and Gas Sector Performance Report). Other oil and natural gas facilities have shown similar trends.
• developed innovative catalysts allowing fuels to be developed in a timely and energy efficient manner.

Source: 2008 EPA Oil and Gas Sector Performance Report

• developed new technologies to detect emission leaks to the air so that they can be identified and repaired quickly.
• improved technologies that effectively reduce pollutants such as sulfur in natural gas before it is sold as a fuel.

Detailed information on releases from oil and natural gas facilities, and comparisons to releases from other idnustries can be seen in API's Toxic Release Inventory.