Statement: Environmental Protection Agency finalizes catastrophic methane rule

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Trump administration rollback locks in potent planet-warming pollution

Environment America

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration finalized New Source Performance Standards Thursday for oil and gas companies. The changes will allow the industry to release methane at sites across the country with little to no accountability. Methane, which is a commonly released gas during the extraction of fossil fuels, is a highly dangerous greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.  

Andrea McGimsey, senior director for Environment America’s Global Warming Solutions campaign, issued the following statement: 

“It is unconscionable that the current Environmental Protection Agency is piling on yet another rollback to its catastrophic record of environmental deregulation. From the giant methane cloud floating across to Florida to the ongoing release of this dangerous gas from the massive Permian Basin of Texas, the oil and gas industry has clearly demonstrated that what we really need is stronger methane regulations rather than less accountability. 

 “With this reckless decision, the Trump administration will ratchet up the volume of a dangerous, planet-warming gas in communities across the country for years to come. Americans are already suffering from stifling, life-threatening heat in 2020, and we can’t afford to make extreme weather even worse for our children and grandchildren. We will not stand for the federal government to side with polluters that are harming the American people.” 

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