U.S. Methane Pollution Remains Stubbornly High While EPA Relaxes Vital Protections
Environmental Defense Fund statement from Matt Watson, Vice President, Energy Program
(AUSTIN, TX) EPA released its final Greenhouse Gas Inventory today, showing oil and gas methane emissions are basically unchanged. Methane pollution from oil and gas activity worsens climate change, yet technologies are available to significantly reduce it. Unfortunately, the Trump administration is actively working to roll back important methane reduction regulations.
“To see virtually no change in methane emissions is simply unacceptable. Reducing methane across the oil and gas industry is not rocket science—it is straightforward and cost effective to do. EPA needs to listen to the public officials, communities and even oil and gas companies, who are insisting they keep these important rules in place.”
· Matt Watson, Vice President, Energy Program
In the coming weeks, the Trump EPA is expected to send the White House a proposal to eliminate direct regulation of methane emissions from oil and gas facilities. This, along with an earlier methane rollback, is an effort to dramatically weaken pollution limits at new and recently built oil and gas wells, and prevent any oversight of pollution from the nearly one million wells that went into operation before current methane rules were in effect.
Real-world methane emissions are much higher that EPA estimates. Comprehensive science conducted over the past decade has concluded EPA is underestimating emissions by about 60 percent, as a result of outdated reporting requirements and modeling formulas. Just today, yet another report showed that methane emissions in New Mexico are approximately five times more than is reported to the EPA.With more than 3 million members, Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action. edf.org
Media Contact
Latest press releases
-
Trump Administration Will Reportedly Roll Back Fuel Economy Standards for Vehicles
May 20, 2025 -
Stop Work Order Lifted on Empire Wind Project, Clean Energy and Jobs to Move Forward
May 19, 2025 -
EDF Files Amicus Brief in Support of Apple’s Climate Strategy
May 19, 2025 -
Groups File Brief in Support of Lawsuit Against Ban on Wind Power
May 15, 2025 -
California Must Lead on Climate Action in Final State Budget Agreement
May 14, 2025 -
Growing Alliance of Global Food & Dairy Companies Builds Momentum to Reduce Methane Emissions
May 13, 2025