Federal Judge Reinstates Obama-Era Rules, Tells Trump To Sit Down. [View all]

[elleng]

'A federal judge has just ordered President Trump to reinstate Obama-era rules designed to fix the environment concerning methane gas emissions.

The move is seen as a major blow to Trump’s powers and the oil and gas industry as a whole, who will now have to ‘scramble’ to make sure they are in compliance. The court also said the Trump administration acted unlawfully when implementing the order.

According to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Trump’s Interior Department ‘misused a provision of the Administrative Procedure Act when it stalled key provisions of a rule aimed at reducing methane venting and flaring on public and tribal lands.’

An estimated $330 million a year in methane is wasted through leaks or intentional releases on federal lands, enough to power over 5 million homes a year. Each year over 175,000 tons of potent greenhouse gases are released annually, in addition to a whole host of other toxic pollutants.

The ruling is just the latest in a series of huge setbacks for the Trump administration as courts continue to overrule the executive branch for actions against climate change taken by President Obama.'

http://politicalape.com/2018/02/12/federal-judge-reinstates-obama-era-rules-tells-trump-to-sit-down/