The Biden administration introduced a new rule aimed at reducing methane emissions from U.S. oil and natural gas producers, emphasizing its significance in fighting climate change.
The rule also targets pollution from toxic byproducts of fossil fuel production and volatile organic compounds.
The administration claims that the rule will benefit low-income communities and those with a large number of people of color. (Trending: Tucker Reveals The Moment He Became A Full-Blown Trump Supporter)
“EPA’s final rule leverages the latest cost-effective, innovative technologies and proven solutions to prevent an estimated 58 million tons of methane emissions from 2024 to 2038, the equivalent of 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide – nearly as much as all the carbon dioxide emitted by the power sector in 2021,” the statement read.
“Sharp cuts in methane emissions are among the most critical actions the United States can take in the short term to slow the rate of climate change,” the statement added.
“On day one, President Biden restored America’s critical role as the global leader in confronting climate change, and today we’ve backed up that commitment with strong action, significantly slashing methane emissions and other air pollutants that endanger communities,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan stated.
“Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, the U.S is turbocharging the speed and scale of climate action, at home and abroad, including our collective efforts to tackle super-pollutants like methane,” added Ali Zaidi, an adviser to Biden.
“The current Administration has made its intentions clear: it is determined to target our flourishing oil and gas sector, despite its substantial progress in reducing methane emissions, irrespective of how it might impact American energy security, reliability, and consumer cost,” Sen. Joe Manchin wrote.
“This has put pressure on EPA to hastily finalize and implement these extensive new regulations, leading to proposals that lack thorough consideration and alignment.”
“This lack of alignment unjustly burdens industry while simultaneously hindering EPA’s ability to achieve its own stated emissions reduction objectives.”
“Because EPA is so singularly focused on its anti-fossil agenda, it has missed an opportunity to craft calibrated proposals that achieve emissions reductions while ensuring that the domestic oil and natural gas industry can continue to provide affordable and dependable energy to meet global market demands.”
“While the federal government has a role in responsibly regulating methane emissions,” Manchin pressed, adding, “a failure to harmonize these rules before they are finalized will have severe consequences for the nation and our strategic partners, putting our energy and national security at risk.”
“The scope, timeline, and legal durability of the EPA’s regulatory actions are unclear, and several of the questions in our June 2023 letter remain unanswered,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson wrote.
“What is known is that thousands of American jobs and billions of dollars in local economic development could be impacted by the EPA’s actions,” they added.
“Global supply chains remain disrupted, and record inflation has increased prices for equipment and services across the energy sector.”
“If the EPA’s scope and compliance timelines do not account for these realities, it could force energy producers to shut in existing production and lay off workers,” the letter stated.
“We are concerned that small businesses and independent energy producers, who are significant contributors to local economies, could suffer the most.”
However, the rule faces opposition from some Democrats and House Republicans, who argue that it could impact American energy security, economic prosperity, and lead to job losses, especially in the context of supply chain disruptions and inflation.
Most Popular:
Walmart Joins ‘Woke’ Companies and Angers Conservatives
WWE Legend Sentenced To 17 Years In Prison
Biden Impeachment Vote Coming To House Floor
