Tell the EPA: Keep Strong Protections Against Methane Leaks

From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):

It could soon become a lot easier for oil and gas companies to release methane into our air.

In just the latest case of rollbacks targeting our air quality, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its plan to weaken protections against methane leaks.¹ Now, we have just 60 days before the public comment period closes to make our voices heard.

Go to https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=29037 to tell the EPA to uphold strong protections against methane leaks.

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a powerful global warming pollutant. It’s 25 percent more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in our atmosphere.

Approximately one-third of all methane pollution is generated by oil and gas operations, and is released at every stage of the production, processing, transportation and storage of both natural gas and crude oil.²

Weakening our current protections would result in an additional 350,000 metric tons of methane released into the air by 2025 — rapidly accelerating the rate of global warming.³ This new plan would allow gas and oil companies to inspect plants for methane leaks less frequently and would double the amount of time required to fix any leaks they find.⁴

The EPA knows this is a bad idea, even noting in the proposal that the resulting increase in pollution “may also degrade air quality and adversely affect health and welfare.”⁵

Tell the EPA to uphold its mission of protecting our environment and our health — not polluters.

This public comment period is our opportunity to make our voices heard, and we know that we’re louder together. This plan puts our health and the future of our planet at risk. Join us in speaking out against it.

Make your voice heard: Tell the EPA to keep our methane protections strong.

1. ---

   Heidi Vogt, “EPA Announces Proposal to Roll Back Obama-Era Rules on Methane Emissions,” The Wall Street Journal, September 11, 2018.

2. EPA, “Methane Emissions,” United States Environmental Protection Agency, April 11, 2018.
3. Ellen Knickmeyer, Matthew Brown, “Trump rollback would ease rules on climate-changing methane,” The Associated Press, September 11, 2018
4. Coral Davenport, “Trump Administration Wants to Make It Easier to Release Methane Into Air,” The New York Times, September 10, 2018.
5. Ellen Knickmeyer, Matthew Brown, “Trump rollback would ease rules on climate-changing methane,” The Associated Press, September 11, 2018