David J. Hayes: EPA’s Rollback of Methane Based on Flawed Analysis

Washington, D.C. — David J. Hayes, Executive Director of the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law and former Interior Deputy Secretary in the Obama and Clinton Administrations, released the following statement in response to the public hearing in Denver, Colorado for the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rollback of Obama-era methane emissions standards:

“The EPA’s proposal to loosen the oil and gas industry’s modest methane leak detection and repair requirements for new wells is an embarrassment. Purported cost savings to industry is the only rationale for a new rule that will allow oil and gas companies to vent nearly 400,000 tons of additional methane pollution, at significant cost to our climate and public health.

“It is particularly ironic that the EPA is trumpeting supposed cost savings associated with less frequent inspections for methane leaks when responsible oil and gas companies concerned about methane pollution are voluntarily instituting rigorous leak detection and repair programs. It is just the latest demonstration of this Administration’s obsession with lowering industry’s environmental compliance costs – even when those costs are swamped by the serious damage that increased pollution causes to human health and the environment.”

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About the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center:
The State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan academic center at NYU School of Law. The Center is dedicated to working towards a healthy and safe environment, guided by inclusive and equitable principles. The Center studies and supports the work of state attorneys general (AGs) in defending, enforcing, and promoting strong laws and policies in the areas of climate, environmental justice, environmental protection, and clean energy.