The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced yesterday that it is rolling back the 2024 new source performance standards for new, reconstructed, and modified sources of methane in the oil and gas industry. Those standards require oil and gas companies to monitor and prevent methane leaks. Methane is a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide and is one of the largest contributors to climate change. The announcement follows President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Texas with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton.   

Following the announcement, the BlueGreen Alliance released a statement from Executive Director Jason Walsh: 

“Reducing methane won’t just slow rising global temperatures; it will keep workers and communities safe. The solutions are already here. We have the affordable technology to plug methane leaks and doing so will save lives. The Trump administration’s choice to roll back this rule will ultimately come at the cost of public health, especially for workers and communities surrounding the sites.”