With public schools implementing early dismissals during a recent heat wave that included record temperatures, with city residents bracing for the next occurrence of an extreme storm like Hurricane Ida, and with worsening air quality in Philadelphia overall, climate change and pollution remain a growing threat to the region.
The Biden administration's recommitment to meeting the climate goals under the Paris Agreement was a welcome start to making significant progress in regulating emissions from oil and gas drilling. But time is wasting and more must be done to slow the toll of global warming. One place to start is with increased regulation of small oil wells that contribute a significant amount of greenhouse gasses.
Pennsylvania is home to thousands of old, abandoned, and leaking oil and gas wells. Indeed, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates the 2 million abandoned wells nationwide are a top source of air and water pollution.
