Assessing Source Contributions to Air Quality and Noise in Unconventional Oil Shale Plays
Principal Investigator:
Meredith Franklin
Associate Professor
University of Toronto
Principal Investigator:
Laura Cushing
Assistant Professor
University of California, Los Angeles
Principal Investigator:
Detlev Helmig
Boulder Atmosphere Innovation Research, LLC
Principal Investigator:
Jill Johnston
Assistant Professor
University of Southern California
Principal Investigator:
Gunnar Schade
Associate Professor
Texas A&M University

The goal of this study is to understand potential community exposure to UOGD-associated chemicals and radioactivity in air as well as noise. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve their goals:

  1. Monitor air quality and noise in the Permian region of New Mexico and the Eagle Ford region of Texas to understand how potential exposures vary across the regions and over different time scales.

  2. Combine existing air monitoring data in the Denver-Julesburg region of Colorado and original data collected in the Permian and Eagle Ford regions with statistical models to distinguish UOGD from other sources of chemicals in the air and noise sources.

  3. Leverage satellite data to examine the association between natural gas flaring and air quality.

  4. Collaborate with the Collett and Hildebrandt Ruiz teams to evaluate the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model performance in the Denver-Julesburg and Eagle Ford regions.

Franklin Study Locations

Franklin Study Locations

 

Media
Meredith Franklin
Meredith Franklin

Research Team

Meredith Franklin
Associate Professor
University of Toronto
Laura Cushing
Assistant Professor
University of California, Los Angeles
Detlev Helmig
Boulder Atmosphere Innovation Research, LLC
Jill Johnston
Assistant Professor
University of Southern California
Gunnar Schade
Associate Professor
Texas A&M University

Project Updates

Franklin Quarterly Update - March 2023

Assessing Source Contributions to Air Quality and Noise in Unconventional Oil Shale Plays

Meredith Franklin

The goal of this study is to understand potential community exposure to UOGD-associated chemicals and radioactivity in air as well as noise. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve their goals:

  1. Monitor air quality and noise in the Permian region of New Mexico and the Eagle Ford region of Texas to understand how potential exposures vary across the regions and over different time scales.

  2. Combine existing air monitoring data in the Denver-Julesburg region of Colorado and original data collected in the Permian and Eagle Ford regions with statistical models to distinguish UOGD from other sources of chemicals in the air and noise sources.

  3. Leverage satellite data to examine the association between natural gas flaring and air quality.

  4. Collaborate with the Collett and Hildebrandt Ruiz teams to evaluate the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model performance in the Denver-Julesburg and Eagle Ford regions.

What's Happened

  • Secured the cooperation of an oil and gas company for site access and provision of operational data.
  • Tested trailer with instruments that measure air quality and noise in preparation for deployment. 
  • Analyzed data about well locations and flaring of natural gas in the Permian Basin, with specific focus on the New Mexico communities of Carlsbad and Loving.
  • Studied historical trends in the levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ozone in outdoor air near a state monitoring location in  Carlsbad.
     

What's New

  • Establishing a stationary air quality and noise monitoring location in Loving, NM.
  • Engaging with a community organization in Carlsbad, NM.
  • Engaging with a science professor in the local Community College (Southeast NM College, SENMC), who will participate in the project by hosting a passive sampler for air monitoring. 
  • Seeking landowners interested in allowing e passive air quality monitors on their properties.  
  • Re-running a public service announcement in both English and Spanish on Carlsbad radio stations, to inform the public of our upcoming air quality study and the opportunity to get involved.

What's Next

  • Deploy the trailer outfitted with air quality and noise monitoring instruments to Loving, NM. 
  • Build a website to share information with the community.
  • Contact landowners and community members in Carlsbad and Loving, NM for our passive air sampling campaign. They will be contacted in person as possible.
Preparing the trailer for deployment in Loving, NM.
Preparing the trailer for deployment in Loving, NM.

Upcoming Events:

  • Community Open House in Carlsbad, NM (Spring 2023; date and location to be determined) to engage in a discussion about our research, display our air quality and noise sampling trailer, and recruit community volunteers for passive air quality monitoring.
  • Poster presentation at the HEI Annual Conference, Boston, MA (April 30-May 2).
Examples of air quality and noise monitoring instruments in the trailer. NOx: nitrogen oxides; VOC: volatile organic compounds; CH4: methane; CO2: carbon dioxide; GC-FID: gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector.
Examples of air quality and noise monitoring instruments in the trailer. NOx: nitrogen oxides; VOC: volatile organic compounds; CH4: methane; CO2: carbon dioxide; GC-FID: gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector.
Franklin Quarterly Update - December 2022

Assessing Source Contributions to Air Quality and Noise in Unconventional Oil Shale Plays

Meredith Franklin

The goal of this study is to understand potential community exposure to UOGD-associated chemicals and radioactivity in air as well as noise. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve their goals:

  1. Monitor air quality and noise in the Permian region of New Mexico and the Eagle Ford region of Texas to understand how potential exposures vary across the regions and over different time scales.

  2. Combine existing air monitoring data in the Denver-Julesburg region of Colorado and original data collected in the Permian and Eagle Ford regions with statistical models to distinguish UOGD from other sources of chemicals in the air and noise sources.

  3. Leverage satellite data to examine the association between natural gas flaring and air quality.

  4. Collaborate with the Collett and Hildebrandt Ruiz teams to evaluate the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model performance in the Denver-Julesburg and Eagle Ford regions.

What's Happened

  • Established a stationary air quality and noise monitoring location in Loving, NM.
  • Fully outfitted a trailer with instruments that measure air quality and noise in preparation for deployment to the monitoring location.
  • Analyzed data about well locations and flaring of natural gas in the Permian Basin, with specific focus on the Carlsbad and Loving, NM communities.
Our team setting up a passive sampler at a community volunteer's yard.
Our team setting up a passive sampler at a community volunteer's yard.

What's New

  • Engaging with a community organization in Carlsbad, NM.
  • Proposing a preliminary network layout of passive sampling devices to collect air quality data in the area stretching from Carlsbad to Malaga, NM.
  • Running a 30-second public service announcement on Carlsbad radio stations, informing the public of upcoming air quality study and potential volunteer involvement.

What's Next

  • Deploy the trailer to the Loving, NM monitoring location in mid-December 2022.
  • Establish a website for sharing our results with the community.
  • Contact landowners and community members in Carlsbad and Loving, NM for our passive sampling campaign. Please contact Dr. Gunnar Schade at gws@tamu.edu or +1-979-845-0633 if you would like to volunteer.

Upcoming Events:

Community Open House in Carlsbad, NM in mid-January, 2023 to engage in a discussion about our research, air quality and noise sampling trailer, and to recruit community volunteers for the passive monitoring campaign. Contact Dr. Franklin if you would like more information about participating.

Franklin Quarterly Update - September 2022

Assessing Source Contributions to Air Quality and Noise in Unconventional Oil Shale Plays

Meredith Franklin

The goal of this study is to understand potential community exposure to UOGD-associated chemicals and radioactivity in air as well as noise. The investigators will apply the following methods to achieve their goals:

  1. Monitor air quality and noise in the Permian region of New Mexico and the Eagle Ford region of Texas to understand how potential exposures vary across the regions and over different time scales.

  2. Combine existing air monitoring data in the Denver-Julesburg region of Colorado and original data collected in the Permian and Eagle Ford regions with statistical models to distinguish UOGD from other sources of chemicals in the air and noise sources.

  3. Leverage satellite data to examine the association between natural gas flaring and air quality.

  4. Collaborate with the Collett and Hildebrandt Ruiz teams to evaluate the "TRAcking Community Exposures and Releases" (TRACER) model performance in the Denver-Julesburg and Eagle Ford regions.

What's Happened

  • Engaged with the community and local stakeholders in the Permian Basin to bring awareness to the project through in-person meetings and a series of virtual open houses.
  • Acquired trailer for air and noise monitoring in the Permian Basin.
  • Collected satellite data to detect flares and air quality data from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

 

What's New

  • Outfitting trailer with air, noise, and radiation monitoring equipment.
  • Engaging with community members in the Permian Basin to establish a location for the air, noise, and radiation monitoring trailer.
Trailer that is being outfitted with air, radiation, and noise sampling equipment for placement in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale, Texas.
Trailer that is being outfitted with air, radiation, and noise sampling equipment for placement in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale, Texas.

What's Next

  • Acquire passive sampling equipment that measures UOGDrelated chemicals in air.
  • Hold a community meeting to recruit volunteers to place passive sampling equipment on their properties.
  • Begin collecting and analyzing data from the monitoring trailer.