Moms Support Strong Methane Regulations

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rules to cut methane and other harmful air pollutants from new and existing oil and gas operations. This important step forward will help protect the health of our children from the impacts of air pollution and climate change. Now it’s up to us to make sure these rules are as strong as possible.

In the US, 3.9 million children go to school a half mile from active oil and gas wells, putting their health at risk. Oil and gas wells emit climate-warming methane and other harmful pollution that can trigger asthma attacks and cause respiratory problems.

The proposed EPA rules are a significant step forward. They would reduce methane pollution from sources covered by the rule by 87% below 2005 levels.

How Is Methane Harmful?

In the US, more than 17.3 million people live within a half mile of oil and gas operations. The frontline communities located closest to oil and gas operations are impacted the most—but this is a problem that affects all of us, because pollution can travel long distances across state borders.

Methane leaks are a problem through every single step of oil and gas development, from the moment the drill bit goes into the ground until gas is delivered to homes. Methane is accidentally or purposely leaked and vented at many stages of natural gas extraction, transportation, and use, representing a major source of dangerous climate pollution in the US.

Methane is an aggressive climate pollutant, with more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide during the first 20 years it’s in the atmosphere. Learn more about methane here.

How Will New Regulations Protect Us?

Children and families across the country need strong and comprehensive EPA methane rules that cover all sources of oil and gas operations, including low-producing wells. Cutting methane pollution is one of the strongest levers we have to slow climate change, and it also improves air quality to protect our children’s health.

More than 100 countries, including the US, have now signed the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to slash emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas by 2030 and could reduce warming by 0.2°C by 2050. While important, the Global Methane Pledge is not binding.

The new EPA methane rules

close a loophole in the leak detection and repair standards by requiring routine inspections at all wells, including those with equipment known to malfunction;
require all low-producing wells, which are responsible for half of all methane emissions nationwide, to be routinely inspected for leaks;
continue to require equipment that does not emit methane;
take steps toward addressing highly polluting incidents with a new “Super-Emitter Response Program”;
require that abandoned wells are subject to inspections until they are closed.
require that flares are properly operated to reduce emissions.

During the winter 2022-2023 public comment period, hundreds of thousands of people told EPA we support this new proposal and urged the agency to make the rules even stronger by fully eliminating pollution from routine flaring and ensuring frontline communities have the tools they need to hold polluters accountable.