The U.S. Senate reversed a federal rule that would have required oil and gas producers to pay for excessive methane pollution, according to a report from Reuters.
What's happening?
Methane is the second-most prevalent polluting gas, after carbon dioxide, but at least 28 times as potent toward heat retention than CO2. Dirty energy sources release gases through fuel combustion, and they leak gases into the atmosphere through oil and gas infrastructure like drilling sites or gas pipelines. When released, the gases form a figurative pollution blanket around the Earth, trapping heat that is raising global temperatures.
The United States assisted in launching the Global Methane Pledge, a voluntary pact signed by over 150 countries committed to cutting methane pollution from 2020 levels by at least 30% by 2030.
To address this, the Biden administration implemented a Waste Emissions Charge to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to impose a fee on oil and gas facilities that create over 25,000 tons of methane per year.
The final Waste Emissions Charge is designed to "improve efficiency in the oil and gas sector, support American jobs, protect clean air, and reinforce U.S. leadership on the global stage," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said last November.
However, the Senate repealed this law under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to overturn recent federal laws with a simple majority, under pressure from industry lobbyists.
"The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress passed the methane tax to single out and punish the oil and natural gas industry despite its already burdensome EPA regulatory framework," said Independent Petroleum Association of America President Jeff Eshelman in the Reuters report.
Why is reducing methane pollution important?
The EPA estimated the fee would lower methane pollution by 1.2 million metric tons through 2035. This decrease in methane pollution was considered equivalent to removing almost 8 million gas-powered vehicles from our roadways for a year.
These dramatic cuts in methane pollution would have created near-immediate benefits and long-lasting benefits for our health, jobs, and education.
Under the WEC, we would see the reduction of other smog-forming pollutants, preventing up to 97,000 asthma symptoms and 35,000 missed school days per year, per an EPA fact sheet. An Energy Innovation assessment estimated the WEC would create over 70,000 positions by 2050.
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No way 👎 What's being done about methane pollution?
Despite the lack of federal support, many states and cities around the U.S. are stepping up to decrease pollution.
The U.S. Climate Alliance consists of 24 state governments that have pledged to maintain the course on climate action, as Reuters detailed. Together, city and state policies could reduce heat-trapping pollutants by up to 62%.
The co-chairs of the U.S. Climate Alliance wrote to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: "Our states and territories continue to have broad authority under the U.S. Constitution to protect our progress and advance the climate solutions we need. This does not change with a shift in federal administration."
Even when these federal rulings seem way over our heads, individual actions can still make a tremendous difference.
Whether by bringing more energy efficiency into our homes, joining local environmental and advocacy efforts, or voting for anti-pollution candidates, our everyday choices spark transformative changes that pave the way to a healthier, more sustainable future for us all.
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