Pennsylvania Fracking Permits Target Methane Leaks

A plan to reduce methane leaks from hydraulic fracturing operations is generating concern in the natural gas industry, which said the rules behind Pennsylvania’s new draft permits lack a scientific basis.

The permits—issued Nov. 30 by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in a draft final form—are part of the commonwealth’s strategy to cut overall methane emissions, the second-most prevalent greenhouse gas released in the U.S. from human activities, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“These general permits are the first in the nation to establish a threshold to control methane emissions from well sites and ...