Congress passes resolution in a move toward eliminating the methane fee despite longstanding bipartisan support to reduce methane emissions
WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate voted to pass a joint resolution disapproving of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule to implement the methane waste emissions charge, following the House of Representative’s passage of the same on Wednesday. The resolution now heads to President Trump’s desk where he is expected to sign it.
“We are disappointed in Congress’ vote to undercut implementation of the methane fee, which has long had bipartisan support,” said Reece Rushing, U.S. Federal Policy Director at Clean Air Task Force (CATF). “Methane reduction and mitigation creates high-quality jobs and provides energy security by reducing wasted gas while providing clear public health and climate benefits. The action taken today by Congress puts those benefits at risk.”
“If Congress and the administration want to eliminate waste, today’s action is not how you do that,” said Jonathan Banks, Global Director for Methane Pollution Prevention at CATF. “The oil and gas industry wastes millions of dollars of gas every year that could have gone to heating homes and powering industry, and the waste emissions charge is a tool to tell companies not to waste those energy resources. Attempts to eliminate it are misguided and shortsighted at best. Companies and the world know that times are changing, and the world is moving to a place where globally traded gas is going to have to demonstrate abatement of methane emissions. Actions like this only make it harder for U.S. companies to compete in the global market.”
The waste emissions charge (WEC) is a part of the United States’ world-leading approach to capturing methane from the oil and gas sector. Enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act, the WEC is meant to encourage oil and gas companies to quickly adopt readily available methane mitigation controls and approaches by charging a fee on emissions that exceed industry-aligned thresholds but granting an exemption to operators in compliance with EPA’s world-leading Clean Air Act methane standards, which are predicated on EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding.
Press Contact
Samantha Sadowski, Communications Manager, U.S., ssadowski@catf.us, +1 202-440-1717
About Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With more than 25 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.
