Proposed amendments to the Ordinance also call for extensive monitoring of the air near pad sites after drilling operations. The EPA, acting through the TCEQ, already requires testing and reporting of emissions from pad sites and tank batteries. The regulations require Operators to engage third-party inspectors to test and report emissions to the TCEQ on an annual basis. If emissions cross a threshold amount, Operators are required to test more frequently. The process can be reviewed on the TCEQ website under “Air Quality Standard Permit for Oil and Gas Handling and Production Facilities.”
With the existing testing already managed by the TCEQ and the EPA, additional testing appears unnecessary. Further, the existing testing system includes an enforcement and remediation mechanism, which would require an extensive effort from the city to replicate.