Williston, N.D. (AP) A North Dakota health official says methane emissions could be the next big environmental issue facing the state's oil industry.
Dave Glatt is environmental section chief of the state's Department of Health. Glatt says the Federal Environmental Protection Agency is paying closer attention to emissions of the greenhouse gas and federal regulations could be on the horizon.
He says it's a good time to see what producers in North Dakota can do to reduce emissions.
Methane is a major component of natural gas. Glatt says leaks, hatches left open and faulty gas flares are often responsible for methane getting from oil facilities to the atmosphere.
The EPA says methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted from the U.S. and that the majority of those emissions comes from natural gas and petroleum systems.