Trump administration seeks to ease methane rules — The Hill
Donald Trump’s administration in the United States will in the coming days propose easing restrictions on methane emissions during oil and gas production. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it intends to revise rules introduced under Joe Biden’s administration, The Hill reports.
Which standards are planned for revision
The EPA has not released the full text of the proposals, but said it intends to eliminate a program that required energy companies to respond to credible reports of significant methane leaks. The agency also plans to change regulations for so-called marginal oil and gas wells — facilities with low production levels and high emissions.
According to ProPublica, which cited a draft document under review by the White House, the new rules could substantially weaken requirements for leak inspections and equipment upgrades at such wells. They account for an estimated 7% of the country’s oil and gas production, but approximately half of the industry’s methane emissions.
The EPA also said it would revise its approach to excess gas extracted together with oil. The Biden administration sought to end the flaring of this gas at new oil wells. The agency did not specify what changes are now being considered, saying only that it intends to ensure the rules can be complied with nationwide and to apply a reasonable approach.
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Positions of the EPA and environmentalists
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the proposed changes could save about $45 billion. According to him, the initiative will address the burden on marginal-well operators, the program for responding to major leaks, rules on associated gas, and requirements for emissions-control devices.
Environmental organizations criticized the announced revision. David Doniger, a senior strategist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that easing the standards could free from accountability companies that do not properly inspect equipment for leaks. He stressed that detecting leaks allows producers to preserve gas for sale.
Methane is a gas that contributes to planetary warming: it is approximately 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide and, according to the data cited in the article, is responsible for about a quarter of global warming. In 2023, the Biden administration strengthened requirements for the oil and gas sector, expecting to prevent 58 million tonnes of methane from entering the atmosphere in 2024–2038.
