EPA Delays crucial Methane and VOC emission Standards for Oil and Gas Sector,Sparking Environmental Concerns
WASHINGTON D.C. – The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a postponement of compliance deadlines for several key provisions within the Clean Air Act standards aimed at curbing methane, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other toxic pollutants from oil and gas operations. This decision has drawn sharp criticism from environmental advocates who emphasize the critical role these regulations play in combating climate change and safeguarding public health.
Darin Schroeder, methane legal and regulatory director at the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), expressed important concern over the delay. “Properly mitigating methane and VOC pollution from the oil and gas industry is critical to addressing climate change and improving public health for communities who live and work around these facilities,” Schroeder stated. “The administration’s decision to delay compliance with manny of the standards that were finalized last year will put public health and the climate at further risk.”
Schroeder highlighted the tangible consequences of such delays, citing EPA’s own estimates. “There are real consequences for any time wasted – by EPA’s own admission, a one-year delay in implementation of existing source standards would result in 3.8 million tons of methane and 960,000 tons of smog-forming VOC pollution that will lead to local health impacts and contribute to worsening air quality,” he explained. “Now is the time to ramp up efforts to clean up the industry’s pollution, not further delay those efforts.”
This is not the first instance of challenges to these environmental regulations. Previously, a coalition of states led by Oklahoma, along with Continental Resources, attempted to secure an administrative stay from the Supreme Court. However, their requests were denied last fall, following a similar rejection by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
The Clean Air Task Force has pledged to meticulously review the EPA’s latest action and remains committed to defending the necessary and lawful measures designed to reduce methane emissions and other harmful air pollutants.
Press Contact:
Samantha Sadowski, Senior Communications manager, U.S.
ssadowski@catf.us
+1 202-440-1717
About Clean Air Task Force:
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting humanity from the worst impacts of climate change. CATF achieves this by accelerating the development and deployment of low-carbon energy and climate-protecting technologies. With over 25 years of international expertise in climate policy and a commitment to exploring all viable solutions, CATF operates as a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group offering bold ideas to tackle climate change. CATF maintains offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with a globally distributed virtual staff. visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf on X.
