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New Mexico, California, and environmental groups are appealing to reinstate the Obama-era rule controlling methane emissions from oil and gas production on public land. In October, the 10th circuit court invalidated the 2016 rule that requires companies to reduce venting and flaring and prevent methane leaks. The rule would cut greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 175,000 and 180,000 tons each year, and protect the health of communities nearby.
In New Mexico, a recent analysis by the state emphasized the dire need to control methane emissions. New Mexico's Environmental Department found that methane emission in the San Juan and Permian basins have increased by 250 percent compared to last year, a significant jump that threatens the health of nearby communities and contributes to climate change. “Ozone levels in the oil and gas regions of New Mexico are already threatening our most vulnerable population’s ability to breathe, like children and the elderly, as well as those dealing with complications from COVID-19,” said James Kenney, Secretary of New Mexico's Environmental Department.
New Mexico has established an ambitious goal to limit methane emissions, proposing a 98 percent gas capture rate by 2026. To meet this goal, the state will need the ability to regulate methane emissions on federal lands. The Environmental Department has been working on new rules, however, regulation on federal lands will be essential to meeting their goal. President-elect Joe Biden supports limits on methane emissions and has indicated that he will sign an executive order instructing agencies to develop new methane limits for oil and gas wells.
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Behind the catchy phrase is a simple, scientifically informed belief that conserving 30 percent of the planet’s land and 30 percent of its water is required to protect roughly 75 percent of Earth’s species and slow climate change by storing carbon in plants and soil.”
