Posted on 08/23/2015 6:29:30 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
In an attempt to curb methane emissions from oil and gas development, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the nation's first regulations on emissions of that gas. Compared to 2012 levels, the EPA aims to reduce the nation's oil and gas sector methane output by up to 30% by 2025, according to a release.
The regulations target methane and smog-forming volatile organic compounds, which are produced by oil and gas drilling operations. They also aim to reduce emissions from new and modified facilities that collect, transport and store oil and gas. The proposal follows 2012 rules, which limit toxic pollutant emissions and VOCs produced by extracting natural gas through hydraulic fracturing, as this article in Nature noted.
However, with these new proposals, President Barack Obama has a more ambitious goal of reducing the sector's methane output by 40-45% by 2025. The Obama administration will continue to seek opportunities to cut methane emissions, said Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, who also explained that last week, for example, the EPA proposed rules that are intended to curb the release of methane from landfills, the article noted.
This new proposal set forth by the EPA was released the same day that a recent study suggested that the U.S. natural gas sector emits substantially more methane than previously thought. In their study, it was estimated that gathering, processing and distributing natural gas releases 2.4 million tonnes of methane each year. Their research was published in Environmental Science and Technology.
In that study, researchers used tracer gases to monitor methane emissions at 114 natural-gas gathering facilities and 16 processing plants, as the report noted.
"The issue really is existing sources," Mark Brownstein, said in the article. "It's clear that there's a need to do more." Brownstein is vice-president of climate and energy at the Environmental Defense Fund, an advocacy group that funded the study along with industry partners.
However, Brownstein adds that the EPA proposal would only apply to new or modified gathering facilities. This excludes many sites that are now operating, as the article noted.
Not with Trump. You are finished!!
The EPA is a terrorist organization.
Won’t be much methane when everything is radioactive ash thanks to that Iranian Valerie J. getting her way.
This agency must be abolished and Gina should be in handcuffs for the two recent toxic spills. How long can this insanity continue? It is not about the environment, it is about control, just like Obozocare.
There goes Taco Bell.
The amount of methane in the atmosphere is just 0.00017% of the atmosphere- it is ... gasp... 100 million tons of methane in atmosphere- our atmosphere is 6 quadrillion tons- 100 million tons is NOTHING compared to the total volume of atmosphere- I seriously hope they aren’t claiming methane is a cause of global warming!
“The EPA is a terrorist organization.”
Well, they’ve certainly destroyed or damaged more lives and cost more in terms of their own overhead (not inconsiderable) and with their edicts over the last 20 years than the sum total of terrorist activity in the US, and yes, I am including September 11th.
HOWEVER, I am not one of those persons who want them gone entirely. With no EPA, the US would look like the toxic waste dump that is the former USSR and have its life expectancy to boot. Those rivers that caught on fire and dead lakes in the 60’s and 70’s DID happen and they WERE not acceptable.
However, in the 21’st century, everything they’ve done is vastly diminishing returns. Knock out 80% of their funding, starting in the 2018 budget.
As long as there is an overabundance of politicians, lawyers and judges in this country, flatulence is going to be a big problem.
Obama henchmen waging war on the economy.
This methane reduction is aimed at oil & gas production in our USA. Obama hates that the private sector has solved our energy problem by drilling on private lands.
Meanwhile, methane leaks naturally from swamps, bogs. lakes, the oceans, cow butts, landfills and oil well flares all over the Mid-East, Mexico and Russia. Our wells are nothing against other sources.
No, no, no! They have come up with catalytic converters for animals. Pretty soon, even your household pets will have them strapped to their a$$es! But since they don't have an IC engine in front, they will have to have some sort of ignitor so when Bower "breaks wind," you will have to watch out for the flame. It will really be fun watching all the Chihuahuas trying to lug theirs around.
“Did I leave any worthless Department out?”
Yes, the BATFE and the DEA!
Rut rho. We have a Chihuahua. LOL!
Trump mentioned about going after the EPA and their regulations when he spoke with Mark Levin.
I say get rid of beans. They are causing more methane than we know. The effects of beans are the most concealed of all human activities. We must bring beans out of the—water closet! We must have a multinational summit to end all cultivation of beans on this planet! It is time we come out of the dark with a frank look at the bean that is causing all of the global warming and causing havoc with man’s environmental positive experience.
This agency needs to be gutted!
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Close EPA, sell their Office buildings at auction. Sell the furniture. The ex EPA Civil Service workers can work at McDonalds for 15 bucks an hour, lol. Or no put them to work at Mine Cleanup in Colorado.
Ok, DEA, ATF, closed, sell used office furniture, and auction off their buildings, cars, MRAPs, and equipment. DONE!
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