By: Celerah Hewes, National Field Manager, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: February 12, 2024
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0434
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you for the opportunity to provide public comment.
My name is Celerah Hewes and I am a National Field Manager for Moms Clean Air Force living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I grew up here, but today I am deeply concerned that the home my daughter will grow up in will be very different due to the public health and climate impacts we are experiencing. Climate impacts are made worse by Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas pollutant that is fueling the climate crisis and is responsible for 25% of the man-made global warming. Where we find climate-harming methane pollution, we also find other toxic air pollutants, like benzyne, which can worsen asthma, affect lung development in children and increase the risk of cancer, as well as neurological and reproductive problems. Protecting our climate and health means keeping everyone's air clean and safe to breathe, and cutting methane pollution from the oil and gas industry is essential to this effort.
That is why I am here today to support the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. Reducing methane pollution from the oil and gas industry is the fastest, most cost-effective way to slow the rate of climate change happening now and avoid the further escalation of strange and severe weather such as wildfires and floods. By ensuring oil and gas operators comply with federal methane standards and take action now to reduce emissions, this program is an important step towards addressing the climate crisis and protecting the health and safety of children and families across the country.
For over a decade, Moms Clean Air Force has been fighting for methane protections, and last year, we were thrilled to celebrate the hard-fought finalization of the EPA methane rule. But, we know there is still work to be done and the Methane Emissions Reduction Program’s waste emissions charge is an important key to the success of EPA methane protections as it is intended to work hand in glove with both federal methane rules and updates to the oil and gas Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.
Mandated by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act, this commonsense fee will help ensure oil and gas operators comply with federal methane standards, hold the nation’s largest oil and gas polluters accountable for excessive climate pollution, and incentivize companies to take action now to reduce emissions.
Living in New Mexico, which has strong state-level methane protections, we have seen operators able and willing to implement cost-effective and successful technologies that can help operators avoid the fee, such as advanced monitoring techniques and zero-emitting process controllers. The Methane Emission Reduction Program also includes over a billion dollars in funding to reduce methane emissions for states, tribal agencies, communities, and operators because we need all large polluters to be held accountable. The reality is that we are impacted by methane pollution that does not respect state boundaries. It is in the air, the wind, and it spreads.
Cutting methane emissions is popular with communities, benefits the health of families living near oil and gas, and is the quickest lever we have to slow the impacts of climate change. We know that without federal action, methane pollution from the oil and gas industry will continue to increase. The Biden EPA has set us on the path towards this with a strong and comprehensive methane rule, but we need mechanisms like the Methane Emission Reduction Program to move swiftly to reduce emissions and protect the health of families. Climate can’t wait and our children deserve swift action to limit methane emissions. Thank you.