Dozens argue against rollback of methane regs
DENVER — Dozens of people who live near oil and gas wells pleaded with the Trump administration Wednesday not to roll back rules for methane pollution, while industry representatives said the changes should go further.
The Environmental Protection Agency held a hearing in Denver on the administration’s plans to loosen regulations imposed by the Obama administration in 2016. The rules require energy companies to step up the detection and elimination of methane leaks at well sites and other oil and gas facilities. Methane is the primary component of natural gas and also is a greenhouse gas.
Opponents argued Wednesday that the change would threaten people’s health, worsen climate change and squander natural gas by allowing leaks to go undetected. They also argued it would cost taxpayers and mineral owners money from the lost sale of the gas.
Many accused the EPA of aiding polluters, looking out for the wealthy and failing a legal duty to protect health and the environment.
“Polluters do not need your protection. I do,” said 13-year-old Alexis Elliott, who said emissions from oil and gas wells near her school are causing her nosebleeds, rashes, bruising and other health problems.
Matthew Todd of the American Petroleum Institute said the industry is already reducing methane emissions even while natural gas production is increasing. He said the EPA should do more to allow technological innovation and streamline the rules.
When it unveiled the new, looser rules in September, the EPA said they would save energy companies up to $75 million a year. But the agency conceded the rules “may also degrade air quality and adversely affect health and welfare.” It said the new rules would allow an additional 380,000 U.S. tons of methane and 100,000 U.S. tons of volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere from 2019 to 2025. Volatile organic compounds are an ingredient of ozone or smog.
The EPA wants to reduce the frequency of inspections for methane leaks and give energy companies more time to repair leaks after they are detected. The changes would also allow an energy company’s in-house engineers to certify some aspects of methane control.
The hearing in Denver is the only one the EPA has scheduled.