Environmental Defense Fund Applauds Governor Shapiro’s Progress towards Implementing Methane Regulations

Today at the Air Quality Technical Advisory Committe, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection presented Governor Shapiro’s proposal on how to move a state plan forward to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas operations. The proposal is a significant step forward and demonstrates a proactive approach to reducing emissions from the second largest producer of natural gas in the country.

“Governor Shapiro is making meaningful progress towards quickly adopting new methane standards for existing oil and gas sources,” said John Rutecki, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs Manager, Appalachia at Environmental Defense Fund. “These efforts will improve air quality and help safeguard the climate while also growing local jobs and creating a framework that encourages industry innovation. This will meet Governor Shapiro’s criteria of protecting jobs and our environment.”

To ensure a balanced, transparent process, the next steps will include meaningful engagement sessions with stakeholders and review by the Citizens Advisory Council and Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board. Environmental Defense Fund will remain engaged throughout this collaborative process.

"We encourage Governor Shapiro and PADEP to swiftly implement these protections. We also encourage an ambitious approach to further reduce methane emissions, beyond the federal rule, to fully realize the economic and climate benefits for Pennsylvania's future generations," said Rutecki.

Background

Reducing oil and gas methane emissions is the fastest, most cost effective way to slow the current rate of global warming while protecting the health of frontline communities, creating jobs, and stopping the needless waste of American energy.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a comprehensive strategy to reduce oil and gas methane pollutants:

1. EPA Clean Air Methane Rule sets comprehensive standards for leak detection and repair, requires switching to zero-emission equipment, and phases out routine flaring at new oil wells.

Over the next 15 years EPA estimates the rule will eliminate:

• 58 million tons of methane
• 16 million tons of smog-forming volatile organic compounds
• 600,000 tons of air toxics like cancer-causing benzene
   

2. Congress enacted the Methane Emission Reduction Program as part of the Inflation Reduction Act including:
   Funding for methane mitigation projects with $350 million announced for plugging low-producing marginal well sites and $850 million for emission reductions, technology deployment and monitoring with a focus on assisting small producers.

The EPA has also updated the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program to improve emissions inventories by incorporating empirical measurement data and replacing outdated methodologies which multiple scientific studies have found leads to severely low and inaccurate inventories.

A waste emission charge will also be assessed only on the largest polluters who fail to adopt common-sense measures to reduce pollution and emit more than 25,000 tons of methane annually.
 

3. The private sector is creating new methane jobs with over 200 companies across the country providing the technology and providing services needed to reduce methane pollution.