EPA seeks expedited review for methane rollback

 

Current methane pollution rules for new oil and gas wells are a step closer to being revoked by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA sent its final rule this week revoking the pollution rules to the Office of Management and Budget for review. The rule is Reg. 2060-AT90  the agency said in a court filing this week that it has requested an expedited review of just 30 days.

That would put it on track to finalize the rollback by the end of July, according to EPA. By repealing the methane limits for new wells, EPA will short-circuit a legal requirement for it to regulate the many existing oil and gas wells, a major industry goal.

The agency says methane is already controlled well enough via regulations limiting volatile organic compounds.

Source: POLITICO