Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed new rule to make stronger standards for methane emissions, including monitoring for methane leaks. The new rule would apply to existing as well as new sources. (Earlier methane limits only applied to new sources.) This is an important step to take and will help improve health, however because there are already technology and tools for reducing methane leaks, we think the rule should be even stronger.
Why Does This Matter For Health?
1. Methane is a VOC (volatile organic compound) and contributes to ground level ozone formation, which is hazardous to health. Ozone causes lung damage, makes COPD worse, triggers asthma and COPD attacks, and numerous other health problems and leads to increased deaths.
2. When methane leaks, other VOCs also leak. Many of these other VOCs are dangerous to health and can be carcinogenic (benzene, toluene, and others). Reducing methane leaks will also reduce other VOCs which will be really good for health.
3. Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Even though it does not persist in the air as long as CO2, because it is so much more potent, a pound of methane traps 30 times more heat than a pound of CO2 over the span of 100 years. Because methane is more short-lived than CO2, reducing methane now will have a big impact on climate change in the next 10-20 years and will really front-load our efforts to tackle climate change.
4. Climate change is a health emergency. The recent IPCC report called it a code red for humanity, while also noting we still have time to make major changes. In the Southeast and the U.S., we are already facing disruption, illness and deaths from climate change: hurricanes, flooding, extreme heat, wildfires and air pollution from wildfires, and evacuations from climate disasters. Thousands of people, including children, are dealing with anxiety and stress from living near disasters or PTSD from living through a disaster. This proposed methane rule will help make changes quickly, improving health and tackling climate change emissions.
The new rule has a comprehensive monitoring program for new and existing well sites and compressor stations, a way for owners to find leaks more quickly, a zero-emissions standard for pneumatic controllers, standards to eliminate methane venting, capture and sale of leaked gas, standards for pumps, compressors and storage tanks, and most important, a requirement for states to meaningfully engage with overburdened communities. EPA will open a 60 day comment period once the new rule is published in the Federal Register. We will keep you posted on this so watch your twitter and email.
As part of the proposed new methane standards, EPA announced it will host trainings for EJ communities and tribes Nov 16-17 and small businesses Nov 18. These session will provide background information, an overview of the proposal, a panel discussion, and information on how to be effective when you work on this issues. To register for one of the sessions, see this link: https://www.epa.gov/controlling-air-pollution-oil-and-natural-gas-industry/epa-host-trainings-november-16-18-2021-epas
In addition to the EPA announcement of the proposed new methane rule, the U.S. has joined with other countries at COP26 to launch a global methane pledge. Read about this pledge here.
Mothers & Others For Clean Air welcomes this proposal to strengthen methane standards. It will improve health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But because technology already exists to address methane leaks and flares, it should be stronger.
For more information about why a new methane standard is good for health, read our statement from June 2021.
11/2/2021
