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DALLAS, TEXAS – (August 1, 2022) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting helicopter flyovers of the Permian Basin region in New Mexico and Texas. The flyovers will use infrared cameras to survey oil and gas operations to identify large emitters of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, as well excess emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While VOCs have potential short-and long-term health effects on their own, they also contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone when they combine with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight.
