Page 12 - Gi flipbook - October 2018

NEWS | INTERNATIONAL

UNITED STATES
Trump administration wants to make

it easier to release methane into air

THE TRUMP Trump continues to roll back Obama
ADMINISTRATION, taking era environmental protections
its third major step this
year to roll back federal
efforts to fight climate
change, is preparing to
make it significantly easier
for energy companies to
release methane into the
atmosphere.
Methane, which is
among the most powerful
greenhouse gases, routinely
leaks from oil and gas wells,
and energy companies have
long said that the rules
requiring them to test for
emissions were costly and
burdensome.
The Environmental
Protection Agency plans
to make public a proposal to flow unchecked from the trusts industry.” between inspections,
to weaken an Obama-era nation’s smokestacks. The regulation of the longer leaks will go
requirement that companies “They’re taking them methane, while not as undetected and unrepaired.”
monitor and repair down, one by one,” said widely discussed as The proposals exemplify
methane leaks, according to Janet McCabe, the EPA’s emissions from cars President Trump’s policy
documents reviewed by The top climate and clean-air and coal plants, was quest to roll back regulations
New York Times. regulator in the Obama nonetheless a major on businesses, particularly
In a related move, the administration. component of Obama’s oil, gas and coal companies.
Interior Department is Industry groups praised efforts to combat climate The pace of the
also expected to release the expected changes. “It’s change. Methane makes proposals has not been
its final version of a draft a neat pair” of proposals up only about nine per slowed by the resignation
rule, proposed in February, on methane, said Kathleen cent of greenhouse gases, in July of Scott Pruitt, who
which essentially repeals a Sgamma, President of the but it is around 25 times left the top job at the EPA
restriction on the intentional Western Energy Alliance, an more effective than carbon under a cloud of ethics
venting and ‘flaring’, or association of independent dioxide in trapping heat in scandals. Andrew Wheeler,
burning, of methane from oil and gas companies that is the atmosphere. About one a former coal lobbyist who
drilling operations. based in Denver. The Obama- third of methane pollution worked in the EPA under
The new rules follow two era EPA methane rule, she is estimated to come from the first President George
regulatory rollbacks this said, “was the definition of oil and gas operations. Bush, is now the agency’s
year that, taken together, red tape. It was a record- The forthcoming acting chief.
represent the foundation keeping nightmare that was proposals from the EPA If implemented, the
of the United States’ effort technically impossible to and Interior Department proposal would recoup
to rein in global warming. execute in the field.” would allow far more nearly all the costs to
In July, the Environmental Sgamma praised the methane to leak from oil the oil and gas industry
Protection Agency (EPA) Trump administration for and gas drilling operations, that would have been
proposed weakening a rule turning the oil companies’ environmentalists say. imposed by the Obama-
on carbon dioxide pollution requests into policy, “These leaks can pop up era regulation. The EPA
from vehicle tailpipes. noting that the Obama anytime, anywhere, up estimated that rule would
And in August, the agency administration frequently and down the oil and gas have cost companies about
proposed replacing the rule turned proposals from supply chain,” said Matt $530 million by 2025.
on carbon dioxide pollution environmental groups into Watson, a specialist in The EPA estimates that
from coal-fired power policy. “It all depends on methane pollution with the proposed changes
plants with a weaker one who you trust,” she said. the Environmental Defense would save the oil and gas
that would allow far more “That administration trusted Fund, an advocacy group. industry $484 million by
global-warming emissions environmentalists. This one “The longer you go in the same year. ■

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News.indd 7 20/09/2018 12:15