The Trump administration expects to announce plans today to weaken rules designed to prevent methane leaks in the United States. President Donald Trump intends to deliver the announcement during a campaign rally in Lubbock, Texas.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reversing its previous efforts to plug these leaks by undoing rules from the Biden administration. Those previous regulations were intended to reduce methane emissions by 80 percent over a 14-year period.
Lee Zeldin claimed the rollbacks will save oil and gas companies $45 billion, noting that the earlier rules would have cost the industry $18 billion in regulatory fees. The EPA is also expected to step back standards for marginal wells, which produce 6 percent of US oil and gas but account for 50 percent of the industry's methane emissions.
Officials expect the agency to end the Super Emitter Program, which previously notified infrastructure operators of methane releases reaching 100 kilograms per hour or more. Methane is up to 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide over a 20-year horizon and has caused approximately 30 percent of global warming to date.
While the Biden-era rules were estimated to provide $98 billion in benefits and recover up to $13 billion worth of natural gas, Celerah Hewes stated, "Any proposed rollback to the federal methane rule is a slap in the face to families who are exposed to oil and gas pollution where they live, work, and play."
