Last weekend, the EPA published a final rule to cut methane emissions from new and existing sources in the oil and gas industry. The rule represents the final step in the agency’s multi-year process to develop a supplemental rule to the Clean Air Act that protects public health and the climate by reducing emissions of methane, which is responsible for one-third of human-related global warming and is often accompanied by other harmful air pollutants. The Wyoming Outdoor Council lauded the rule as one of the most significant opportunities in recent years to cut wasted methane, ensure responsible energy development, and promote a cleaner and healthier Wyoming.

“EPA’s new standard to curb leaks of methane and other harmful pollutants from oil and gas operations is welcome news for protecting our health, our environment, and Wyoming’s open spaces,” John Burrows, Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Wyoming Outdoor Council, said. “This final rule builds off of Wyoming’s own successes in reducing harmful emissions and will limit wasted methane from leak-prone equipment. We see this rule as essential for spurring future innovation, saving taxpayer dollars, and for creating a level playing field for methane regulation across the oil and gas industry.”

In addressing wasted methane, the rule provides a powerful and cost-effective tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry and curbing the most extreme impacts of climate change — while ensuring that Wyomingites are fairly compensated for the extraction of a valuable natural resource. A recent analysis by Taxpayers for Common Sense and the Environmental Defense Fund found that operators wasted $500 million in gas on U.S. public and Tribal lands in 2019 alone.

The rule also brings a multitude of other economic and public health benefits for Wyoming. New emissions standards will encourage technological innovation and spur job growth in methane mitigation — enabling Wyoming to stay competitive in an evolving energy landscape. Reducing methane emissions will also improve air quality and benefit human health, since the same leak detection and repair practices used to reduce methane will also reduce harmful air pollutants such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are known to cause respiratory damage and contribute to poor air quality.

EPA’s new rule comes at a time when there’s consensus among leading industry and environmental groups that plugging leaky equipment is necessary to prevent wasted resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining global competitiveness with low-carbon fuel sources. In the coming years, Wyoming will be charged with developing a State Implementation Plan for the new rule that meets these new common-sense and fiscally responsible standards. We look forward to supporting the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality in the work that lies ahead.