Lamb moves to roll back Trump methane rules

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Mt. Lebanon, plans to introduce a resolution that would overturn a Trump administration rule that weakened federal caps on methane emissions from energy infrastructure, arguing stronger enforcement benefits the natural gas industry, workers and environmental groups alike.

Mr. Lamb announced Thursday he would join Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., and Scott Peters, D-Calif., to introduce a Resolution of Disapproval under the Congressional Review Act, which gives Congress the power to overturn any regulations finalized in the previous 60 legislative days.

Both chambers would have to pass the resolution by a simple majority. In the Senate, Sens. Martin Heinrich, DN.M., and Angus King, IMaine, introduced an identical resolution Thursday.

The Democrats’ actions targeted an August 2020 rule finalized by the Trump administration around the time of a visit to Pittsburgh by Andrew Wheeler, then the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Mr. Wheeler said the new rules would remove “burdensome” regulatory requirements and save the industry millions of dollars while maintaining environmental protections. The Trump rule also eliminated Obama-era rules that require oil and gas producers to monitor and fix methane leaks throughout the drilling, transport and storage process.

Mr. Lamb has challenged Mr. Wheeler directly on the issue, pointing out during a September 2019 hearing that much of the oil and gas industry actually supports the stronger standards.

Mr. Lamb, who helped craft President Joe Biden’s campaign climate platform, has said fixing methane leaks along pipelines and plugging old gas wells would also create union jobs in the Pittsburgh region.

In a statement Thursday, Mr. Lamb portrayed the Trump rule as weakening — and in some cases eliminating altogether — requirements that oil and natural gas companies limit methane and related volatile organic compound emissions from their operations.

“We know that methane is a huge contributor to climate change and air pollution, and we can do something about that at the same time we protect jobs and support responsible energy production,” Mr. Lamb said in a statement. “We can set real, reasonable, enforceable rules with this resolution and get back to common sense.”