Air pollution from oil and gas worsening in Carlsbad, Loving as industry grows, study says

A study on air pollution in Carlsbad and Loving, the site of ongoing research by scientists at Texas A&M on air quality in the area, could help inform future policy to safeguard front line communities.

The study, using air monitoring stations in both Eddy County communities began in April 2023, and in an update provided by the team Nov. 13, data showed heightened levels of pollutants like ground-level ozone, methane, benzene and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

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Airborne radioactivity was also found in the air around the communities, believed rising because of growth in energy development, read the report.

The study particularly focused on ground-level ozone, known to cause cancer through long-term exposure, and its formation when VOCs interact with sunlight.

Southeast New Mexico was identified by state officials as having higher levels of ozone than most other regions of the state. Recently-enacted rules by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to increase gas leak detection and repairs was one measure to stem worsening ozone pollution.

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That could also help prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from designating the Permian Basin in New Mexico and Texas as in violation of federal air quality standards, a listing that could stymie future development and increase requirements for permits to drill.

Meanwhile, oil and natural gas production in the Permian were expected to grow in December by 5 million barrels and 113 million cubic feet per day, respectively, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Lead researcher and associate professor at Texas A&M Gunnar Schade said the growing oil and gas production in the Permian – the U.S.’ most active oilfield which led Texas and New Mexico to be the first- and second-highest oil producers in the nation – could endanger frontline communities like Carlsbad and Loving.

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“The Permian Basin has experienced a significant increase in unconventional oil and gas production over the past decade,” he said. “This growth has led to oil and gas operations being situated closer to and upwind of residential areas, heightening the risk of people being exposed to air contaminants.”

The research was conducted through a collaboration with Texas A&M, the University of Toronto, the University of Southern California and the University of California Los Angeles.

It was funded by the nonprofit Health Effect Institute’s, energy affiliate HEI Energy which receives its own funding from the EPA and oil and gas industry, according to its website.

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Air quality data began being collected on April 16, and the team held a public meeting May at the beginning of the study with another planned this year.

They plan to conduct the research for about a year. A mobile air monitoring lab was used for the study, on land owned by ConocoPhillips in Loving, collecting air samples and studying them for the presence of pollutants.

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The team was also seeking volunteers in the area that could emplace air monitors in their backyards to take samples from residential areas for lab analysis.

The instruments are approved and recognized by the EPA, researchers said, along with other regulatory agencies.

The Loving facility is one of several in fossil fuel regions around the country generating data for the project.

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Air samples were also collected from Eagle Ford shale basin in southern Texas, and compared with existing data from DJ Basin in Colorado. Researchers also compared air pollutants taken from Los Angeles, known as the largest urban oil and gas field in U.S. with about 5,000 wells amid the metropolitan area.

USC researcher Jill Johnston said pollutants found in the air could pose respiratory health concerns to residents both in the short- and long-term.

“Heightened air pollution levels, particularly ozone, carry significant health threats for local residents, ranging from asthma attacks and respiratory symptoms to cardiovascular issues and potential long-term health complications,” she said.

Schade said the results of the work could better help inform policy decisions around the growing industry and expose the danger it could pose to frontline communities.

“Our findings strongly support other recent work revealing air pollutant emissions that result in the exceedance of regulatory ozone standards from a growing industry," he said. "They also highlight the importance of considering public health concerns in affected communities."

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Researchers expose oil and gas air pollution in southeast New Mexico