Clean Air Council Statement on Scott Pruitt’s Undermining of Rulemaking for Existing Source Methane Pollution

PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 3, 2017) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt announced Thursday the termination of an information request about equipment and methane pollution from oil and gas industry operators across the country. EPA’s information request was a standard request by the EPA to seek data and direct input from operators. The intention was to determine best practices and standards for protecting community health and curbing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions in preparation of developing methane standards for existing natural gas facilities.

In response to Administrator Pruitt’s action, Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director and Chief Counsel for the Clean Air Council released the following statement:

“Of the many actions we must take to prevent catastrophic climate change, methane pollution rules are among the simplest. The methane leaking into our atmosphere at nearly every stage of oil and gas production, processing, and transportation can be largely controlled with available, cost-effective technologies that have already proven effective in states like Colorado.

“Scott Pruitt and the Trump administration have made clear their decision to ally themselves with polluters while ignoring the needs of the American public and shirking the EPA’s responsibility to protect human health and the environment.”

“Clean Air Council will continue to call out the Trump Administration at every instance in which power is abused to benefit the few at the cost of the health and lives of the many. Pruitt’s action is not representative of the public interest.”

# # #

The Clean Air Council is a member- supported, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to breathe clean air. The Council is headquartered in Philadelphia and works through public education, community advocacy, and government oversight to ensure enforcement of environmental laws. For more information, please visit www.cleanair.org.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Matt Walker, mwalker@cleanair.org, (215) 567-4004 x121

February 3, 2017