A rally announcement, not a final rule
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration is "terminating" a Biden-era rule aimed at cutting methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. He made the statement at a campaign rally in Lubbock, Texas, where he was supporting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton.
Trump said the change would save consumers and producers $45 billion and unlock 210 million barrels of oil, roughly ten days of US petroleum consumption. The White House is under pressure over fuel costs before the 3 November midterms, with Brent crude near $114 a barrel and petrol averaging about $3.17 a gallon.
What the rule did
The earlier regulation required companies to find and fix leaks, and set limits on flaring and on equipment at well sites. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin previewed the changes last month, saying the agency would eliminate its "Super Emitter Program", which requires operators to investigate and repair large methane releases picked up by satellites, and would set looser standards for small wells.
Methane is the main component of natural gas and traps far more heat than carbon dioxide over short periods. Scientists estimate it accounts for about a third of the greenhouse gases driving warming, and oil and gas operations are the largest industrial source. The gas leaks from wellheads, pipelines and compressor stations, or is burned off as waste when there is no pipeline to take it.
One piece of a wider rollback
The move is part of a broader dismantling of climate policy. The administration has revoked the scientific finding that underpins federal greenhouse gas regulation, lowered vehicle fuel economy standards and repealed emission limits for coal and gas power plants, a repeal now challenged by 25 states, counties and cities.
Environmental groups argue the claimed savings will not reach drivers and that the health costs of extra pollution will be larger, particularly for communities near wells and compressor stations. Industry groups say small operators cannot absorb compliance costs. A formal repeal still has to run through the rulemaking process, and litigation is expected to follow the pattern set by the power plant case.