Study finds disparities in natural gas leak prevalence in US urban areas

A Colorado State University-led study shows that natural gas leaks are more prevalent in neighborhoods with low-income or non-white populations than in neighborhoods with high income or white populations.

The study was led by a professor in the Department of Biology at Colorado State University and a former assistant professor in the Department of Statistics. The work was supported by a gift to the Environmental Defense Fund and builds on a multi-year research project in which the researchers and colleagues conducted detailed urban methane leak surveys using high-sensitivity analyzers inside Google Street View cars. The cars collected detailed observations of leaks from natural gas distribution lines that are typically found several feet below ground. The team created interactive maps that show the data that was collected.

The researchers compared household census data with publicly available gas leak data from 13 metro areas across the country for the environmental justice focused study. In communities where the majority of the population is non-white, leak densities are higher. The median incomes decreased with the increase in leak densities. The strength of these relationships varies by city.

There are clear paths utility companies can take to address the issue.

M methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is responsible for over a quarter of current global warming. Many methane gas leaks are allowed to continue unaddressed for years because they are not regulated for safety.

Gas leaks are a solvable problem, and it is clear that they are being better managed in some areas.

There are new standards.

The federal agency that oversees these pipes is in the process of setting new standards that will require operators to use advanced leak detection technology to find and fix methane leaks. The standards have yet to be implemented.

It is clear that the problem of gas leaks can be worse for communities of color and low-income households.

Seongwon Im is a PhD candidate in statistics at CSU, as is Emily Stuchiner and Virginia Palacios.

More information: Zachary D. Weller et al, Environmental Injustices of Leaks from Urban Natural Gas Distribution Systems: Patterns among and within 13 U.S. Metro Areas, Environmental Science & Technology (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00097 Journal information: Environmental Science & Technology Citation: Study finds disparities in natural gas leak prevalence in US urban areas (2022, May 12) retrieved 13 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-disparities-natural-gas-leak-prevalence.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.