President Joe Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency has reminded Americans it has not let up on damaging rules and regulations with a proposed effort to tighten methane regulations for the oil and gas sector, which now targets reductions from existing oil and gas wells instead of only new wells.
If finalized, the proposed requirements would reduce methane emissions from U.S. drilling operations and equipment by approximately 75% by 2030 when compared with 2005, according to the White House.
While the American Petroleum Institute has said it is supportive of reasonable efforts to reduce emissions, it takes issue with at least one piece of the Biden plan — efforts to impose fees on methane leaks. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., was more direct.
“As I’ve said time and again, we should not demonize an industry that is part of the lifeblood of our economy, especially as our country and much of the world face severe energy supply constraints as we head into winter. Instead, we should be acknowledging the emissions reductions accomplishments we have made and look for more ways to further incentivize those reductions. This move by the Biden administration is yet another attack on U.S. energy. If today’s announcement by the EPA wasn’t enough, Congressional Democrats continue to look at imposing a methane fee, really a natural gas tax, that would not only make already elevated heating, electricity, and fuel costs even more expensive, but also it would put jobs in energy-producing states like West Virginia at risk.”
She’s right, of course. But the EPA has already proved it is more worried about looking busy than about genuinely protecting the environment and workers. Why should we have hoped this time would be any different?