Environmental Defense Fund and Allies File Joint Comments on Environmental Protection Agency’s Methane Reporting Rule
(WASHINGTON) EDF and allies submitted public comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed regulations to update reporting of methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry.
With the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress directed EPA to update methane reporting protocols based on empirical data to improve accuracy. Reported methane will soon be subject to a waste emissions charge under the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. To be effective, it is critically important that the charge is based on the oil and gas industry’s real-world pollution impacts.
In their joint comments, EDF, Clean Air Task Force, Earthworks, Natural Resource Defense Council and Sierra Club call on EPA to finalize a rule that:
- Requires operators to report large emission events, often called “super-emitters,” that contribute significantly to the industry’s total pollution.
- Updates emissions factors (the formula used to estimate equipment emissions) so that they include the latest data on emissions from leaks, and other operational problems.
- Uses funding from the Methane Emissions Reduction Program for:
- Gathering and incorporating top-down basin-level data
- Monitoring for large release events and focusing on sites that are not otherwise monitored.
- Provides all reported emissions data in publicly-accessible and easy to use formats and audits and validates all reported emissions for accuracy.
- Requires operators to use data from regulatory leak inspections to strengthen the accuracy of their reported emissions.
Read the official comment submission here.
One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 3 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter @EnvDefenseFund
Media Contact
Latest press releases
-
Public Interest Groups Defend SEC’s Climate Risk Disclosure Rule
August 15, 2024 -
Puerto Rico Hit by Tropical Storm Ernesto
August 14, 2024 -
La Tormenta Tropical Ernesto toca tierra en Puerto Rico
August 14, 2024 -
Localized air monitoring in New York’s disadvantaged communities underscores the need for immediate action to cut air pollution
August 14, 2024 -
Appeals Court Rejects Attempt to Block Mercury and Air Toxics Protections
August 6, 2024 -
New Study Provides Comprehensive Estimates of Methane Emissions from Canada’s Oil and Gas Industry Based on Direct Measurements
August 6, 2024