During a rally in Lubbock, Texas, President Trump stated his administration is terminating methane emissions regulations established under the previous administration. Trump characterized the rules as expensive and unnecessary, asserting they imposed crippling constraints on small oil and gas operators and caused price increases. He claimed the change would generate $45 billion in savings and unlock 210 million barrels of oil equivalent.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin supported the action in an official statement, framing it as ending what he termed a “war on oil and natural gas” through revisions to Clean Air Act regulations. According to the EPA, the proposal is projected to yield 210 million additional barrels of oil and 1.41 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Environmental and public health advocates opposed the reversal. The Clean Air Task Force argued the proposal violates the Clean Air Act’s mandate to protect public health and would harm communities near oil and gas facilities. The American Lung Association warned that curbing such pollution protections would allow harmful emissions including volatile organic compounds and carcinogens to continue, worsening air quality and contributing to climate warming.
The 2024 methane rule being terminated was the first federal regulation setting nationwide requirements to limit methane emissions from existing oil and gas facilities. It required operators to minimize leaking, flaring and venting of methane and volatile organic compounds. Research organization Fieldnotes obtained records showing oil and gas industry representatives met with EPA officials at least 38 times during the current administration’s first year. Environmental Defense Fund calculations indicated that since the EPA announced it would cease enforcing these regulations in March 2025, operators have leaked, vented or flared approximately $7 billion worth of natural gas.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI