The Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first-ever regulations aimed at curbing rampant air pollution from the controversial gas drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Fracking releases a range of toxic and cancer-causing chemicals into the air, including benzene, hexane and methane — a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. The standards come after widespread complaints of health problems and air pollution from those who live near gas drilling sites. Following objections from the oil and gas industry over the potential cost of the regulations, the EPA has given the industry nearly three years to install technology that will allow it to capture some of the worst pollutants. Companies will be allowed to continue burning or “flaring” methane into the air until January 2015.