US Rep. Diana DeGette Proposes New Bill (Methane Waste Prevention Act of 2019) Aimed At Drastically Reducing Methane Emissions From Natural Gas Production Over The Next 3-5 Years
PHILADELPHIA, PA (May 14, 2019) – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO 1st) announced a new bill that will reduce harmful methane leaks from natural gas infrastructure, protecting public health and avoiding taxpayer waste. This bill amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (FOGRMA) of 1982 by requiring the Secretary of the Interior to issue new rules to reduce the waste of natural gas from Federal leases, increase reporting requirements for new and existing wells, and also reinstates the 2016 Bureau of Land Management Methane Waste Prevention Rule until the new rules required by the bill are promulgated.
The bill requires:
- Capturing 85 percent of all gas produced on public lands within 3 years of enactment, and 99 percent of gas within 5 years
- An end to the venting of natural gas
- No flaring from new wells (effective 2 years after enactment)
- Establishment of equipment and operation standards to minimize gas leakage and the establishment of mandatory leak detection and repair procedures
Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council, issued the following statement:
“Rep. DeGette’s bill is a crucial step towards holding oil and gas industry polluters and their enablers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accountable for air pollution that harms public health and accelerates climate change. The bill will lock in critical existing methane standards and protect against our sham of an EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s reckless rollbacks”
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