EPA Proposes Cutting Methane Rules for Oil and Gas

The Trump administration is proposing to reduce federal requirements for capturing methane from oil and gas operations. The move targets regulations finalized in 2023 under the Biden administration, which aimed to limit emissions from drilling sites across the country.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Estimates indicate it is eighty times more effective at warming the planet than carbon dioxide over a twenty-year period. The new proposal would alter how the Environmental Protection Agency enforces these standards under the Clean Air Act.

President Trump announced the changes during a campaign stop in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday. He stated that the revision would save the industry billions of dollars in production costs and encourage more domestic drilling. This timing aligns with a period of voter dissatisfaction over high gas prices ahead of the midterm elections.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin defended the move in a press release. He claimed the previous rules destructively targeted the industry. "Behind every barrel of oil and every cubic foot of natural gas produced in the U.S. are millions of workers, businesses, and the heartbeat of this nation's economy," Zeldin said.

Industry leaders expressed support for the rollback. Dustin Meyer, vice president at the American Petroleum Institute, said the group looks forward to working with the administration. He described the new approach as one that provides greater regulatory certainty while supporting American energy production.

Environmental groups argue the changes may increase long-term costs. Jon Goldstein, an associate vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund, noted that methane is natural gas. He explained that capturing more gas means less is lost to leaks or flaring, resulting in more product available for sale. "That is harmful to our energy security, and it's harmful to taxpayers that ought to be seeing royalty and tax revenue collected off of this gas that's going to waste," Goldstein said.

The proposal specifically targets the Methane Super Emitter Program, which is scheduled to take effect in January 2027. This program would allow certified third parties, including private and nonprofit satellite programs, to monitor large leaks. Paasha Mahdavi, a political science professor at UC Santa Barbara, explained that the government often needs external help to detect invisible leaks. "The government needs help from other people to say, 'Hey! You're breaking the law!' so they're able to prosecute," Mahdavi said. Without the program, he added, it will be harder for regulators to spot large releases from facilities.

The rule change would also loosen standards for low-volume marginal wells. Goldstein stated that these end-of-life wells are responsible for the majority of methane pollution from the production sector. The EPA plans to hold a public hearing and accept comments for at least forty-five days after the proposed changes are published in the Federal Register.