The natural gas industry is expected to fight back after being told Pennsylvania will begin enforcing tougher air pollution standards under new permits requirements starting in August.

Drillers in the Marcellus Shale Play in Northeast Pennsylvania say the state hasn’t justified its need to regulate methane or the costs of more advanced emission reducing equipment.

Environmental advocates say Pennsylvania is moving toward the head of the line in surpassing Federal requirements for monitoring and reducing methane emissions.

The permits are to apply to updated as well as new well sites and compression, transmission and processing stations located along natural gas pipelines. The rules extend to a broader array of sites than currently covered as well as step up checks for leaks along the pipelines and connections.

The gas industry says the new requirements will mean higher costs and delays on the development of new wells across the lucrative Marcellus Shale fields.

Pennsylvania is the second largest producer of natural gas with Texas ranking at the top.

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