Washington, D.C. —(ENEWSPF)–August 18, 2015. Today, the Obama administration proposed the first-ever pollution reduction standards for methane emissions from new and modified oil and gas operations. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and the oil and gas industry is the largest industrial source of this pollution. This proposal is central to achieving the Obama administration’s goal of reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 percent by 2025.
Greg Dotson, Vice President of Energy Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement in response to the Obama administration’s proposal:
Methane pollution is invisible to the naked eye, but it poses very tangible risks to the climate and human health. Right now, most oil and gas facilities are allowed to release unlimited methane pollution into the air with little oversight. This rule will put a stop to that for new equipment and operations. The oil and gas companies will argue that standards are not necessary and that we can trust them to cut this pollution on their own. But without these standards, a company that invests in the latest, cleanest technology will be at a competitive disadvantage compared to companies that choose to continue to pollute. The good news is that this technology is widely available and can cut pollution for pennies on the dollar. I applaud President Barack Obama and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy for taking another important action to cut the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and address the urgent threat of climate change.
Source: www.americanprogress.org
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