Biden announces new regulations on methane emissions from oil and gas production.
In a move to curb emissions and show leadership at the UN Climate Summit in Scotland, President Joe Biden recently announced new regulations on methane emission from oil and gas production. This move by the administration represents one of the President’s most aggressive actions aimed at tackling the climate change issue.
According to the Washington Post:
Proposed rules from the Environmental Protection Agency could establish standards for old wells, impose more frequent and stringent leak monitoring, and require the capture of natural gas found alongside oil that is often released into the atmosphere. They mark the first time the federal government has moved to comprehensively tackle the seepage of methane across U.S. oil and gas infrastructure.
Maryland is also set to get new methane regulations soon from the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE). MDE is working to produce new regulations that better track and reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste. While targeting different methane emitters, it is clear that leaders in both the state and federal governments are working to eliminate this dangerous emission.
Methane is the second-largest contributor to climate change, and although it dissipates much faster than carbon it is 80 times more powerful. Some experts believe that rapid reduction can shave off 0.3 degrees celsius in temperature rise. In 2019 alone landfills and petroleum accounted for nearly half of national methane emissions.
