Why the Oil and Gas Industry is Concerned about the New Methane Emissions Rollbacks

The current EPA administration recently proposed rolling back methane emission regulations. The rollbacks are part of the current discussion about the impact of these gases on climate change. While it was anticipated that climate scientists would oppose the rollbacks, the noteworthy news is that even some of the oil and gas companies that might have expected to profit from the rollbacks have raised concerns, according to recent report in Forbes.

The changes would give companies the right to choose not to install new technology to monitor methane emissions from pipelines, wells, and storage tanks. The EPA’s position is that a better approach would be to regulate volatile organic compounds.

Forbes reports that “Methane, according to scientists, is 80 times more heat-trapping over a 20-year period of being in the Earth’s atmosphere, compared to carbon dioxide over the same period. And methane emissions account for 10% of U.S. greenhouse gases, to which the oil and gas industry is a significant contributor.”

Oil and gas stands to lose money without the regulations

The concern raised by the oil and gas companies is that they have been marketing natural gas as a “cleaner” alternative to coal. BP, Exxon, and Shell (which are part of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative), for example, are concerned that the new rules might leave the impressions that gas is a “dirtier” alternative because the methane emissions aren’t being checked. Oil and gas companies worry that if natural gas is seen as bad for the climate, that would make a stronger case for using solar and wind age to help control global warming.

The American Petroleum Institute, a trade organization which represents many smaller oil and gas companies, supports the new EPA regulations.

Another concern that the oil and gas companies have raised is that the new regulations are likely to be challenged in court. Their concerns are not unfounded. A prior rollback effort by former EPA chief Scott Pruitt was successfully challenged in federal court. These companies worry that the cost and time to fight the challenges would offset any benefit the new rules create – in the way of decreased monitoring costs.

The New York Times further explained natural gas has been replacing coal as an energy fuel in America because it is “cheap and far cleaner to burn.” Advocates of natural gas say it can be a “bridge fuel” that can back up wind turbines when the wind does not blow and solar arrays when the sun does not shine.” Opponents of natural gas says that natural gas leaks can damage the environment.

The rule change must go through a six-month public review process which means, at the earliest, it won’t go into effect until 2020.

The experienced injury lawyers at Cunningham & Mears have been fighting for Oklahoma oil and gas workers for 20 years. We fight for families who have tragically lost a loved one and for victims who have suffered any type of injury while working in oil industry sector. To learn if you have a legal claim for your injuries or a workplace illness, call our Oklahoma City oil and gas injury lawyers at 405.212.9234 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.