![]() Methane has been shown to leak into the atmosphere during every stage of oil and gas production, Wimmer said, and people who live near oil and gas wells are especially vulnerable to these exposure risks.ĭavid Doniger, a climate expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, called methane a “super-polluter.” He said in an interview that the Biden plan “takes a very solid whack at climate pollution. “EPA heeded the urgent guidance of health experts across the country and finalized a strong methane rule that, when fully implemented, will significantly reduce hazardous air pollutants and climate-warming methane pollution from the oil and gas industry,’' he said in a statement. Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, called the new rule a victory for public health. It also includes $1.5 billon in grants and other spending to help companies and local communities improve monitoring and data collection, and find and repair natural gas leaks. The law allows exemptions for companies that comply with the EPA’s standards or fall below a certain emissions threshold. government has directly imposed a fee, or tax, on greenhouse gas emissions. ![]() The fee, set to take effect next year, will charge energy producers that exceed a certain level of methane emissions as much as $1,500 per metric ton of methane. The new rule will be coordinated with a methane fee approved in the 2022 climate law. ![]() “From mobilizing billions in investment to plug orphaned wells, patch leaky pipes and reclaim abandoned mines, to setting strong standards that will cut pollution from the oil and gas sector, the Biden-Harris Administration is putting the full throw-weight of the federal government into slashing harmful methane pollution,’' he said. The EPA rule is just one of more than 100 actions the Biden administration has taken to reduce methane emissions, Zaidi added. The new methane rule will help ensure that the United States meets a goal set by more than 100 nations to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels, Regan said. The plan also will phase in a requirement for energy companies to eliminate routine flaring, or burning of natural gas that is produced by new oil wells. Studies have found that smaller wells produce just 6% of the nation’s oil and gas but account for up to half the methane emissions from well sites. Such wells currently are subject to an initial inspection but are rarely checked again for leaks. It also regulates smaller wells that will be required to find and plug methane leaks. It targets emissions from existing oil and gas wells nationwide, rather than focusing only on new wells, as previous EPA regulations have done. The methane rule finalizes a proposal Biden made at a UN climate conference in Scotland in 2021 and expanded a year later at a climate conference in Egypt. to the Paris climate agreement and ordering an immediate review of environmental regulations rolled back by the previous administration. “On Day One, President Biden restored America’s critical role as the global leader in confronting climate change,’' Regan said, referring to Biden’s actions returning the U.S. Separately, the president of the climate summit announced Saturday that 50 oil companies representing nearly half of global production have pledged to reach near-zero methane emissions and end routine flaring in their operations by 2030. climate conference in the United Arab Emirates. ![]() Air pollution from oil and gas operations can cause cancer, harm the nervous and respiratory systems and contribute to birth defects.ĮPA Administrator Michael Regan and White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi announced the final rule at the U.N. The Environmental Protection Agency said the rule will sharply reduce methane and other harmful air pollutants generated by the oil and gas industry, promote use of cutting-edge methane detection technologies and deliver significant public health benefits in the form of reduced hospital visits, lost school days and even deaths. oil and natural gas industry for its role in global warming as President Joe Biden seeks to advance his climate legacy. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Biden administration on Saturday issued a final rule aimed at reducing methane emissions, targeting the U.S.
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