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Flaring is just one type of a potential emissions event, but in 57 of the 116 events analyzed, flares were listed at least once. Some flaring emissions are covered under permits, while others are not. According to Peter DeCarlo, an associate professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University who studies atmospheric air pollution, flares are one of the most common sources of unauthorized emissions. “Flaring … is done to actually reduce the emissions of some pollutants, but it results in the emissions of other pollutants,” DeCarlo told EHN. “It can also be a nuisance for noise or light reasons. Flaring is often used to remove excess chemicals or to prevent larger issues like fires or explosions and is often considered preferable to releasing emissions directly into the atmosphere. But DeCarlo said flare emissions vary depending on what is burned. Typically the oil and gas industry will burn natural gas, resulting in the emissions of methane and carbon monoxide. “Methane is much more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and so by burning it off before it gets into the atmosphere actually reduces the impact to climate,” DeCarlo said. “That being said, it’d be great if we didn’t have to do that in the first place.” DeCarlo noted that chemical industries, including petrochemical facilities, also flare, but may burn a larger variety of products including hazardous air pollutants that can pose health risks. Flaring destroys part of a chemical by burning it, and will turn it into something less harmful. While properly operating flares are expected to destroy 98% of emissions, DeCarlo said that can vary greatly. “What’s typically assumed for efficiency is not what’s been seen or observed in field studies,” said DeCarlo. “These are often really hard measurements to make because flares are typically not at the ground so you are doing these measurements pretty high up in the air, trying to capture the air as it leaves the flare, and then back calculating how efficient it was.” Things like wind, weather and maintenance can impact a flare. According to a 2022 study that surveyed three of the nation’s major gas production regions – Eagle Ford Shale, Permian Basin and Bakken – flares were destroying closer to 91.1% of methane, in some cases resulting in five times higher levels entering the atmosphere than previously assumed. Inefficient flares emit more pollutants like particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, according to DeCarlo. Additionally, some of the more concerning chemicals are not destroyed as much as desired.  “While they (flares) serve a purpose to reduce impact to climate or health, transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels would also minimize the need to have flares in the first place,” DeCarlo said. In addition to climate related concerns, recent studies have documented flares’ health impacts. A 2020 study in Texas’ Eagle Ford Shale found mothers that live within about three miles of high levels of industrial flaring are 50% more likely to deliver premature babies. This likelihood increased for Latine parents. Another study found that flaring and venting – the release of ignited gas – contributed to an additional $7.3 billion in health risks and 710 premature deaths annually in the U.S. “It’s so much more than just carbon being released,” Srivastava, of Fenceline Watch, said. “This is happening daily. At some facility right now, flaring is occurring.”
Cumulative pollution impacts
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