Biden takes aim at methane emissions with new rules on oil and gas industry
The Biden administration on Friday announced plans to significantly tighten regulations against methane emissions from domestic oil and gas drilling.
The Biden administration on Friday announced plans to significantly tighten regulations against methane emissions from domestic oil and gas drilling.
The new measures were unveiled at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP27, in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, and are part of the administration's broader commitments to the global community to tackle the climate crisis.
The regulations aim to curb a key source of pollution and harmful emissions from fossil fuel companies. They require oil and gas operators to use remote sensing technology to identify and address large methane leaks and routinely monitor all well sites.
The Environmental Protection Agency said the proposed standards would reduce methane from the oil and gas sector by 87% below 2005 levels.
“The United States is once again a global leader in confronting the climate crisis, and we must lead by example when it comes to tackling methane pollution — one of the biggest drivers of climate change,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement.
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