Trump Administration Finalizes Methane Rule That Will Loosen Restrictions on Gas Flaring, Increase Pollution
Why it matters: The rule change will increase gas flaring at oil wells, leading to more climate and air pollution across states like Texas and New Mexico.
- The Trump EPA finalized a reconsideration of the 2024 methane rule, which will increase gas flaring and boost climate and air pollution.
- The Sierra Club views this as a 'massive step backward,' arguing it will worsen smog and soot, accelerate the climate crisis, and increase energy costs for families.
- New Mexico had previously banned routine venting and flaring in the Permian Basin, a progressive stance now undermined by the federal rollback, according to Antoinette Reyes of the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter.
- Texas, already a leader in climate-disrupting methane emissions due to weak state regulations, will see its industry put on the 'wrong path' by these loosened federal standards, notes Cyrus Reed of the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter.
The Trump administration has finalized a methane rule that will loosen restrictions on gas flaring at oil wells, a move criticized by the Sierra Club as a significant setback for public health, climate, and economic sense. This action reverses the EPA's December 2023 methane pollution standards, which had introduced the first-ever requirements for existing equipment and strengthened standards for new sources.
