Agricultural Sources of Particulate Matter
Context Corner Edition 9
November 8, 2024
By Carrie Crumpton, CNX Vice President of Environmental Strategy
Through our Radical Transparency program, we not only monitor and disclose raw data in real time to state regulators and the public, but we also leverage the program as an opportunity to investigate when we see an anomaly in the data. Each operational location has its own unique characteristics, and we view any data anomaly as an opportunity to study, learn, improve, and customize our operating practices to the benefit of each local community. In other words, the program has provided an ancillary benefit beyond simply sharing data and providing the public with first-of-its kind transparency from the natural gas industry; it’s an opportunity for our industry to learn, adapt, and enhance operations in real time.
In that vein, we occasionally see readings of PM2.5 (particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers in diameter) that are higher than expected for the activity (or lack of activity) that is occurring on a pad location. As you’ll recall from previous Context Corner editions, PM2.5 sources can be emissions from combustion of gasoline, oil, diesel fuel, wood, or other biomass; or dusts and dirt from unsealed roads, construction, landfill, and agriculture. Some pollens and molds can also contribute to particulate matter that can register on certain devices that record PM2.5. When we are alerted to these ‘higher than expected’ readings, our team responds to review the conditions on location to ensure our process and equipment are working as designed. Our team often observes adjacent activity that could be contributing to the readings we are recording.
As we consider possible contributing factors for these unexpected readings, one thing to remember is that well pads are not large industrial complexes that are isolated from other typical activities in the region. Well pads in Appalachia are sited alongside other activities such as coal mining operations and, more often, near agricultural activity, which is prominent within our operating footprint. USDA’s 2023 State Agricultural Overview reports there are over 49,000 Farm Operations totaling more than 7,100,000 acres with agricultural operations in Pennsylvania. CNX well pads are alongside and often surrounded by some of these agricultural activities. Activities occurring on these working farms can contribute to the air quality readings we see at our pad locations. The monitors we utilize do not differentiate from where the PM2.5 originates. Exhaust, dust, smoke, and pollen from these agricultural activities are detected and recorded as well.
CNX recognizes that unique air quality challenges exist in agriculture. From application of pesticides and fertilizers, plowing and tilling, etc., to the management of livestock waste and burning of crop residues, agricultural practices release contaminants including volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, among others. CNX is taking steps to help better understand the region's PM2.5 by looking for contributions from well pad/development activity and hope that others can utilize the robust dataset to explore other possible sources of PM2.5. We view this as an opportunity for innovation and transformation. CNX believes that the data we record and provide can help advance air quality across the region and could innovate opportunities outside of the sphere of natural gas, like opportunities to move forward sustainable agricultural practices such as conservation tillage, precision farming, or integrated pest management.
CNX appreciates the mutually beneficial opportunity to develop natural gas alongside agriculture in Appalachia and is proud to contribute to the direct economic benefit for the agricultural community. These synchronous activities have cemented the opportunity for multi-generational family farms to continue for generations to come by providing supplemental income to families and improving opportunities for investments in new technology and equipment. These investments and the efficiencies that are gained preserve the Appalachian region’s farming culture and help preserve the competitive viability of the family farm in Appalachia. Tangible data leads to innovative, impactful solutions that benefit everyone in the (local) region.
