Natural Outlook, November 2013 Page: 1
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NOVEMBER 2013
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Developing Natural Resou
Although the United States is
still struggling to recover from
a serious, lengthy recession,
one bright spot in terms of jobs
and economic growth continues to be the
state of Texas. This is due in no small part
to the growth of oil and gas exploration and
production, which has expanded largely
due to the process of hydraulic fracturing
and improved techniques for horizontal
drilling. As the Texas Railroad Commission
said, "The shale revolution is sweeping the
country and revolutionizing energy and the
economy, with Texas and the Eagle Ford
Shale leading the way."
A recent study conducted at the Uni-
versity of Texas at San Antonio determined
that 2012 oil and gas activity had a major
economic impact across the Eagle Ford
Shale, supporting 116,000 jobs and adding
more than $61 billion to the economy.
The Eagle Ford Shale encompasses
approximately 24 counties, and stretches
from the Mexican border between Laredo
and Eagle Pass, up through counties east of
Temple and Waco.
ENSURING AIR QUALITY
The TCEQ's primary role in the oil and gas
fields is regulating emissions and ensuringraces while Protecting Health and the Environment
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The TCEQ's new automated gas chromatograph is located in Floresville, between the Eagle Ford
Shale and San Antonio. The monitor was placed here to measure general air quality in an area
downwind of oil and gas activity in the Eagle Ford Shale and to better understand ozone precursor
levels generally downwind of the shale area but generally upwind of the San Antonio metropoli-
tan area. The red dots are natural gas wells, the green dots are oil wells, and the blue dots are
permitted, but not completed, wells. Map courtesy of the Texas Railroad Commission.air quality. Working with the Railroad
Commission and other Texas agencies,
the TCEQ is devoting significant resources
to make sure those responsibilities are
successfully met.
Just as the TCEQ found in the Barnett
Shale in North Texas, monitoring data
provides evidence that overall, shale-play
activity does not significantly impact air
quality or pose a threat to human health.
This conclusion is based on several million
air-monitoring data points for volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) and other airpollutants that the TCEQ has collected since
2000, in both the Eagle Ford and Barnett
shales. While improperly operated facilities
can result in temporary, local, unauthorized
emissions, there are no indications that
these emissions are of sufficient concentra-
tion or duration to harm residents of the
Eagle Ford or Barnett shales.
Rapid Response
The TCEQ has a vigorous, effective
monitoring, investigation, and enforcement
operation in the Eagle Ford. Therefore,0
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Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Natural Outlook, November 2013, periodical, November 2013; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth640030/m1/1/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.