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Eugene

(61,595 posts)
Thu May 12, 2016, 02:21 PM May 2016

US Proposes to Cut Methane From Oil, Gas by Nearly Half

Source: Associated Press

US Proposes to Cut Methane From Oil, Gas by Nearly Half

By MATTHEW DALY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — May 12, 2016, 1:52 PM ET

The Obama administration issued a final rule Thursday to sharply cut methane emissions from U.S. oil and gas production, a key part of a push by President Barack Obama to reduce methane emissions by nearly half over the next decade.

The rule by the Environmental Protection Agency is the major element of an administration goal to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas drilling by up to 45 percent by 2025, compared to 2012 levels. It will require energy producers to find and repair leaks at new or modified oil and gas wells and capture gas that escapes from wells that use the common drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Methane, the key component of natural gas, tends to leak during oil and gas production. Although it makes up just a sliver of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, it is far more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, making it a top target for environmentalists concerned about global warming.

Officials estimate the rule will cost the industry about $530 million in 2025. Those costs would be outweighed by reduced health care costs and other benefits totaling about $690 million, officials estimate.

EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said the new rule would "protect public health and reduce pollution linked to cancer and other serious health effects while allowing industry to continue to grow and provide a vital source of energy for Americans across the country."

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/us-seeks-cut-methane-oil-gas-40-percent-39065940

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