Earlier this month, President Biden and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed an updated draft rule to cut methane and other harmful pollutants from oil and gas operations across the country.
- This proposal is an important step towards addressing the climate crisis, safeguarding public health, and creating new jobs in the methane mitigation industry. The updated draft rule improves upon many of the standards in the original draft rule released by EPA in 2021.
- Still, there is more work to be done to ensure that the strongest possible methane safeguards are quickly finalized. The public engagement process outlined by EPA – which includes public hearings on January 10-11, and a public comment period, began on Tuesday December 6th and will end on Monday, February 13.
- We have the opportunity to emphasize where the rule must go further, share what impact an improved rule would have locally, and urge EPA to finalize and implement the rule quickly so Montana communities can realize the benefits as soon as possible.
Protect your community from methane pollution. Demand that the EPA put an end to routine venting and flaring and finalize the new rules as quickly as possible.
Northern Plains believes EPA has an obligation to strengthen its proposal and advance rules that leave no loopholes nor future opportunities for methane pollution from oil and gas infrastructure. As noted in prior comments to the EPA, Northern Plains believes that the climate crisis requires urgent action by our communities and institutions – in particular, by those institutions that have exceptional power and resources at their command.
That’s why we need you to let the EPA know why cutting methane is important to you. Submit a public comment below. 92% of legislators self-report that personal stories like yours have a positive influence on their decision-making, so please be sure to personalize your message.
Key points to include in your comment:
- Cutting methane pollution from the oil and gas industry is the quickest, most cost effective way to slow the rate of climate change and protect our health. Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere.
- The poor air quality created by other harmful gasses emitted with methane have caused respiratory and heart conditions in our communities. Much of the time, these environmental and health impacts disproportionately impact our Indigenous, Black, and low-income community members.
- Currently Northwestern Energy is also attempting to force a methane-fired power plant onto the community of Laurel, immediately adjacent to the Yellowstone River. The potential health impacts are extremely concerning. If completed, this methane-fired plant will be classified as a Major Source of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP), most of which are cancer-causing.
- Methane pollution from the oil and gas sector is accelerating the pace of climate change and harming the health of our families and communities across the country. That is why we are counting on EPA to quickly finalize the strongest possible safeguards to cut methane and other harmful pollution from the oil and gas industry.
