'Appalachia the third-largest gas producer in the world.' Stop demonizing the industry. |Opinion

Robert Brundrett is president of the Ohio Oil & Gas Association, Charlie Burd is executive director of the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia, and David Callahan is president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

Our fellow Americans may not consider the so-called “Rust Belt” to be the epicenter of our nation’s green economy.

But the discovery of our region’s abundant and clean natural gas resources over the last 15 years has transformed Appalachia into a technology hub and innovation-driven economy at the forefront of America’s energy evolution and revolution.

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Thanks to the significant increased use of natural gas for power generation, we have seen historic improvements in our regional air quality as pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and other emissions have plummeted, in some cases by nearly 90%. This leads to fewer respiratory issues, fewer hospitalizations, and enhanced public health—particularly for those most vulnerable, like young children and senior citizens.

Furthermore, we know natural gas is our sharpest tool to curb carbon emissions worldwide. Our country’s embrace of natural gas is the main reason we achieved emission reductions faster than any other nation in the world, while at the same time growing our economy.

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As the collective voice for Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia’s natural gas and oil industry, we’re proud of the contributions American energy has made in creating a cleaner and healthier planet, stronger communities with good-paying jobs, and a more prosperous economy.

Driven by the Shale Revolution that unlocked Appalachia’s natural gas and oil resources, America is now the world’s top natural gas and oil producer and the world’s top environmental performer.

That’s because our members carefully develop these critical resources under the strictest environmental and safety standards, and we see it as a privilege to contribute to our nation’s environmental and energy leadership.

Our three states produce roughly one-third of America’s natural gas, making Appalachia the third-largest gas producer in the world — behind only the U.S. itself and Russia. This, in its own right, is something to be proud of, but when you consider the high standards we hold ourselves to and that our basin is best in class in terms of environmental performance in the United States—it is a homegrown success story and model for the world.

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Appalachia is our home.

We care deeply about our people, the communities in which we live, and the environment that surrounds us. We go to work each day to protect and conserve what makes our neighborhoods great — which is why our respective member companies have been leading the way in tackling planet-warming emissions for years.

From enhanced leak detection, repair programs, and seeking independent environmental, social, and governance risks performance verification, to targeted methane reduction and abandoned well-plugging efforts, there is both an environmental and economic incentive for us to ensure methane is safely and efficiently transported to market—after all, it is the core component of the very product our members produce and sell.

For Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, collaboration is imperative. While individual companies may have their areas of expertise, coordination among members is key. We know all too well there is only so much we can do on our own.

The energy we produce across Appalachia is not just critical to domestic energy security, it’s becoming more important to our allies abroad.

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To ensure we continue to deliver the energy America and its allies rely upon, we need lawmakers to commit to policies that support responsible domestic exploration, production and transmission, enhance permitting efficiencies for critical infrastructure projects, and in some cases, stop demonizing the industry that’s keeping our economy running and making our modern way of life possible.

Our region has a bright future in realizing generational energy and environmental benefits because of the resources located right beneath our feet.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Opinion: Natural gas production makes “Rust Belt” green energy epicenter