The quickest and most cost effective way to slow the rate of climate change and protect our waterways is to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.
The proposed rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cut methane emissions are a great start. However, they can go even further in protecting American communities and waterways from the damages of climate change driven by methane emissions.
Operators at wells capture associated gas and limit flaring of that gas in instances in which it is necessary for safety or maintenance reasons;
Strengthen the standards to address emissions from storage tanks by making the standards applicable to more tanks; and
Provide a clear pathway for participation in the Super Emitter Response Program by ensuring communities and citizens can access data and technologies to help reduce methane and other pollutants in the areas where we live and work.
Reducing methane emissions would also greatly benefit frontline communities, including many Tribes, which bear the burden of this pollution and its impacts on their water supplies. Anything less is a missed opportunity that will accelerate this crisis, and present dire consequences for the health of our families, our communities, our waterways, and the future of our planet.
