Proposed methane rule changes stir debate
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes changes to methane emission rules it says will save the oil and gas industry millions of dollars in compliance costs by removing duplicative regulations.
Environmentalists, however, argue the proposed changes would boost the amount of methane r el eased i nto t he atmosphere, worsening global warming and posing added health risks to the nation's population.
The EPA is proposing the changes after conducting a review of existing standards that President Donald Trump ordered in March 2017.
In announcing the proposed rule changes Thursday, agency officials stated they would maintain health and environmental regulations on oil and gas sources “the agency considers appropriate.”
They also said the analysis estimates the proposed changes would save the oil and natural gas industry at least $17 million annually.
“EPA's proposal delivers on President Trump's executive order and removes unnecessary and duplicative regulatory burdens from the oil and gas industry,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated in a release announcing the proposed changes.
“The Trump Administration recognizes that methane i s valuable, and the industry has an incentive to minimize leaks and maximize its use. Since 1990, natural gas production in the United States has almost doubled while methane emissions across the natural gas industry have fallen by nearly 15%. Our regulations should not stifle this innovation and progress.”
The agency proposes two actions. The primary action would remove sources in the transmission and storage segment of the oil and gas industry from regulation, including compressor stations, pneumatic controllers and underground storage vessels.
It argues a decision to regulate emissions from those made by the EPA under t he Obama administration was not appropriate because the agency did not specifically find they significantly contributed to methane emissions.
It also would rescindmethane emissions limits for producing wells and processing plants, but keep emissions limits at those in place for ozoneforming volatile organic compounds.
Alternatively, it proposes to rescind methane emissions limitations without removing transmission and storage operations from regulation.
Officials stated the EPA will take comments on its proposals for 60 days after publication in the federal register.
They likely will get plenty from Earth Justice, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Sierra Club and other concerned organizations and individuals.
On Thursday, fund officials estimated the EPA's proposals would result in added release of 5 million metric tons of methane emissions annually, which it said is enough gas to heat 4 million homes. They also said current oil and gas methane emissions are 60% higher than EPA estimates.
“This proposal is irresponsible, dangerous and out of step with calls from oil and gas industry leaders to preserve and strengthen federal methane rules,” Matt Watson, energy vice president for the fund, tweeted Thursday. “Without a strong federal framework in place, the case for natural gas evaporates.”
Sierra Club representatives also raised concerns about the proposal.
"At this point in human history, any person who is not actively worki ng to curb greenhouse gases is simply assuring our childrens' futures will be marked by tragedy and human suffering," Johnson Br idg water, director of the Sierra Club's Oklahoma chapter, said Friday. "Andrew
Wheeler and President Trump can rest assured they are directly threatening the well-being of all humans with their profits-overpeople approach to government."
"It is no longer a question that climate change is real, and it is pure scientific fact that methane is one of the most potent drivers of our man-made climate crisis."
Meanwhile, the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma applauded the proposed rule change.
In a statement released Thursday, the al liance noted the state's oil and natural gas industry remains dedicated to reducing methane emissions as it grows its production of oil and natural gas.
“Between 2011 and 2017 (nationally ), methane emissions fell 24% while oil production rose 65% percent and natural gas rose production 19%,” it read.
The changes, its statement continued, “focus on market-based solutions by re mo vin gd up li cative and costly barriers to development and making it easier for operators to gain approvals for new, innovative technologies that reduce emissions.”
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, also celebrated
release of the proposals this week.
“The old methane rule had no environmental benefit and created needless costs while hindering economic growth,” Inhofe said, noting EPA estimates that emissions fell while production grew. “With this kind of progress, why would regulation be necessary?”