Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) declared that it has received a $6 million worth grant for a 3-year long initiative. The work focuses on using hydraulic fracturing to reduce the environmental impacts of natural gas operations.
The grant will support the strategy of EDF in securing strong rules and formulating industry best practices in 14 states with 85% of unconventional gas reserves within the nation. Bloomberg Philanthropies awarded this grant.
This grant has been inspired by the $50 million commitment by Bloomberg Philanthropies for Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign that focuses on minimizing the number of coal-fired power plants in the U.S. The grant guarantees EDF to improve natural gas regulation in the states at the centre of the shale gas boom. Success in those 14 states in the subsequent years will indicate the nature of shale gas, and will help determine its implementation.
EDF will operate to bring about powerful state regulation of natural gas operations in five major areas such as:
- Minimizing impacts to communities and ecosystems.
- Revealing all chemicals deployed in the hydraulic fracturing process, and in drilling and operating wells, needing measurement of the content of waste water and evaluating air emissions.
- Reducing water consumption, ensuring proper disposal of wastewater and protection of groundwater.
- Optimizing rules for construction and operation of wells.
- Improving air pollution controls, such as capturing a potent greenhouse gas, methane.
Bloomberg Philanthropies is taking part in global environmental issues, such as the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, with Mayor Bloomberg as Chair, and the $50 million partnership with the Sierra Club on the Beyond Coal Campaign.
Source: http://www.edf.org/