U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) recently discussed his concerns with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed new regulations restricting methane emissions, which are expected to impose costly new restrictions on oil and natural gas.
“The EPA’s proposed methane rule is yet another example of the Obama administration’s war on American energy jobs,” Smith, who is chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, said. “The EPA’s own data shows that methane emissions in the United States decreased by almost 15 percent between 1990 and 2013, yet EPA is forging ahead with this extraneous and unnecessary regulation.”
Smith has shared concerns in the past regarding the EPA’s release of rules in coordination with environmental stakeholders to the exclusion of energy industry stakeholders. Despite industry efforts that have already drastically reduced emissions in recent years, the latest proposed rule would place new strict regulations on the use of valuable sources of energy.
“Instead of conspiring with extreme environmental interests, the EPA should stop punishing cooperative industry stakeholders and start partnering with them in their current efforts to capture methane in a responsible manner,” Smith concluded.