WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Tuesday a rule to significantly cut planet-warming methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, a major victory for the Biden administration in its effort to tackle climate change.
The new rule, which was largely supported by industry, is the first of its kind to directly limit methane emissions from existing oil and gas sources and is expected to reduce emissions by nearly 80% by 2030 from sources that had previously gone unregulated. The measure is also expected to cut other air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds and cancer-causing hazardous air pollutants, by up to 85%. The move is the latest in the administration’s efforts to prioritize action on climate change, and comes following President Joe Biden’s moves to rejoin the Paris Agreement and impose a temporary moratorium on new oil and gas drilling on federal lands.
