New EPA Rules to Decrease Methane Pollution
The EPA announced on December 2, 2023 that it has introduced new rules to cut methane pollution by the fossil fuel industry. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas and there are ways to prevent losses into the atmosphere in order to combat climate change and improve human health. These rules do not include changes in production, which, of course, are also necessary to combat climate change and improve planetary health by curbing air pollution. However, increased efficiency and prevention of losses is low-hanging fruit, and a clearly win-win step.
The highlights:
The regulations are projected to prevent 58 million tons of methane production from 2024 to 2038, equivalent to 1.5 billion tons of CO2. In 2030 it is expected that reductions will decrease greenhouse gases (GHG) equivalent to 28 million gasoline cars.
The EPA also expects that the rule will decrease other pollutants from methane extraction that cause respiratory problems, including asthma in children, as well as pollutants that are carcinogens. These are released mostly in areas that include lower income individuals and people of color.
From the EPA release:
“’As the world gathers to tackle the climate crisis, the U.S. now has the most protective methane pollution limits on the books. EPA’s limits on oil and gas methane pollution are a vital win for the climate and public health, dramatically reducing warming pollution and providing vital clean air protections to millions of Americans. With other countries also zeroing in on methane as a key climate risk, it’s a signal to operators worldwide that clean-up time is here,’ said Fred Krupp, President of the Environmental Defense Fund. ‘EPA has shown tremendous leadership in establishing these leading clean air standards and we look forward to working with states and EPA to move quickly on implementation. The communities who fought long and hard for these protections now need to begin to reap their benefits.’”
This is so obviously a win-win that even BP (BP is the designation for what was formally called British Petroleum, the eighth largest oil company in the world in 2022) is on board with cutting methane emissions. It can not only help their bottom line but is good public relations.
Again, from the EPA release:
“’bp welcomes the finalization of a federal methane rule for new, modified and - for the first time - existing sources,' said Orlando Alvarez, Chairman and President, bp America. [BP is the designation for what was formally called British Petroleum, the eighth largest oil company in the world in 2022] ‘A well-designed rule will help drive material methane emission reductions this decade and beyond. We appreciate the collaborative way EPA, NGOs and industry worked together on this rulemaking. In the spirit of COP28, input from a broad range of stakeholders makes for more durable and effective policies. We congratulate the Administration on this important milestone and look forward to working together on the next phases of implementation.’
“The final rule includes a comprehensive suite of pollution reduction standards that address the largest sources of methane and other harmful pollutants at oil and gas facilities, including methane that leaks or is vented from equipment and processes. Among other things, the final rule will:
• phase in a requirement to eliminate routine flaring of natural gas that is produced by new oil wells;
• require comprehensive monitoring for leaks of methane from well sites and compressor stations, while giving oil and gas companies flexibility to use low-cost and innovative methane monitoring technologies; and
• establish standards that require reductions in emissions from high-emitting equipment like controllers, pumps, and storage tanks.
“In addition, the final rule includes a Super Emitter Program that will utilize third-party expertise in remote sensing to detect large methane releases or leaks known as “super emitters,” which recent studies have indicated account for almost half of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.
“EPA estimates that the final rule will yield total net benefits of $97 to $98 billion dollars from 2024-2038 ($2019), or $7.3 to $7.6 billion a year, after taking into account the costs of compliance and savings from recovered natural gas. These estimates account for climate benefits and some health benefits from reduced ozone exposure, but do not account for the rule’s full health benefits of reducing other forms of harmful air pollution. The rule will result in increased recovery of natural gas, valued at $7.4 to $13 billion from 2024-2038 ($2019), or $820 to $980 million a year.”
For a deep dive into the rule, the EPA site has further information.
Homepage image source: Carl Young, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons