Commonsense Regulations Would Limit Waste and Air Pollution From Oil and Gas Drilling

Washington, DC — In a document that is expected to be filed in the Federal Register tomorrow, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will propose an 18-month delay of a rule designed to limit methane pollution from oil and gas operations on public lands. The rule has already withstood legal attack from industry, as well as an attempted repeal in Congress.

The Trump administration’s prior delay of this commonsense rule is already being challenged in court by a coalition of organizations nationally.

A New Mexico coalition of environmental and community groups released the following statement in response:

“Over 30,000 wells populate the San Juan Basin contributing to the Four Corners Methane Hotspot that hovers over our home. The BLM’s rule is the first to take on methane waste from these wells. The BLM can do what the EPA methane rule cannot: it can significantly and quickly address and potentially reverse the hotspot. Delaying this rule directly delays cleanup of this harmful cloud of pollution, putting the health of our community directly at risk”  Emily Bowie, San Juan Citizens Alliance

“Numerous sacred texts in the world religions speak about having ears open to doing what is right. People of faith believe that the methane rules are an important way to listen and then act for the common good of communities, creation and the school children in New Mexico who could benefit from royalties from methane capture. Our traditions and our mothers taught us to “waste not, want not”. Wasting methane is poor stewardship. We need immediate implementation of methane rules.” Sister Joan Brown,osf, Executive Director, NM Interfaith Power and Light.

“The federal government and the oil and gas industry have known methane waste is a problem for at least seven years, and spent over three years crafting the current rule. It’s well past time for the federal government to stop sacrificing public health and taxpayer royalties for yet another gift to the oil and gas industry.  Thomas Singer of the Western Environmental Law Center.

“Once again, Donald Trump and Ryan Zinke are putting big polluters before health of our communities. They want to allow oil and gas to waste a public held good, that they extract from our public lands with no thought for the impact on our state. In New Mexico BLM’s methane rule would be royalty-increasing, job-inducing, health-improving and climate protecting. A large majority of New Mexicans support these common-sense, good-neighbor rules. We’ll continue working tirelessly to see this Administration follow the law and implement these measures.” Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club’s Rio grande Chapter Director