EPA proposes methane rule rollback

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed changes to regulations governing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. The draft rule would scale back requirements established in 2023 during the previous administration. These changes aim to reduce production costs for domestic energy companies.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Estimates indicate it traps heat 80 times more effectively than carbon dioxide over a twenty-year period. The 2023 rules targeted emissions from drilling sites, pipelines, and refineries across the United States. The new proposal would alter how these facilities monitor and report leaks.

President Trump announced the revision on Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas. He stated the change would save the industry billions of dollars and encourage more domestic drilling. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin criticized the previous standards in a press release. "The Biden EPA destructively targeted all this," Zeldin said, referring to the workforce and economy tied to oil and gas production.

Dustin Meyer, vice president at the American Petroleum Institute, supported the move. He said the industry looks forward to a more workable approach that provides regulatory certainty. Meyer noted the proposal would support American energy production while advancing emissions reductions. The trade group had previously opposed the 2023 rules.

Environmental groups argue the rollback could increase costs. Jon Goldstein, associate vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund, explained that capturing methane is equivalent to capturing sellable natural gas. "Methane is natural gas, or natural gas is methane," Goldstein said. He argued that preventing leaks allows companies to sell more product, offsetting compliance costs.

The proposal would remove the Methane Super Emitter Program scheduled for January 2027. This program would have allowed certified third parties, including satellite operators, to report large leaks to the government. Paasha Mahdavi, a political science professor at UC Santa Barbara, noted that methane is invisible and difficult to detect. Without third-party reporting, he said, the government would find it harder to spot and prosecute large leaks.

The rule also loosens standards for marginal oil wells. These are low-volume sites that generate minimal profit. Goldstein stated that satellites show these older, end-of-life wells account for a large share of sector pollution. The EPA will publish the proposed rule in the Federal Register and hold a public hearing. A minimum 45-day public comment period will follow.