Trump to Deregulate Methane

Reviews
The issue of global warming is a loaded debate already, without dragging in politics. The topic itself is an open debate and full of disagreement; this article assumes it is a closed discussion and then uses that to write its narrative of the new EPA regulations. The reader is reminded of the partisan politics that may or may not be driving these changes. So while it does report the facts, it does color them slightly. A point of interest is the statistic that methane makes up almost 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The article adds no context for what makes up this 10%, whether it is found in nature or caused by man. Remarks for the article past the word-count cutoff: companies' statements on the new EPA regulations; only one included that supports them.
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First Published: 08/31/2019 05:59:53 pm
Last Updated: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Original Front Page Link
The New York Times
Content (36)
On 08/29/19, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a plan to reduce restrictions of methane emissions.
Methane emissions are a significant cause of climate change.
Federal requirements are in place that make oil and gas companies monitor methane leaks.
This methane-leak monitoring equipment is for wells, pipelines, and storage facilities.
Under the new EPA plan, these requirements will be dismissed.
This plan allows questions as to whether the EPA is allowed to regulate methane or not.
Important companies in the energy field have spoken against this plan.
Companies from other industrial fields have spoken against other decisions to cut back on environmental regulations.
The methane regulation plan is part of a series of many deregulations of environmental policy under the Trump administration.
Trump wants to use public land and water for drilling.
One possible place for drilling is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Trump reversed the Obama administration ban on coal mining leases on public land.
Department of the Interior established a plan for the Endangered Species Act.
The EPA is planning on cutting restrictions about streams and wetlands.
The EPA says new rules are intended to make the U.S. more self-sufficient in regard to energy.
According to Wheeler, U.S. natural gas produce has doubled, since 1990.
According to Wheeler, methane emissions have dropped 15%, since 1990.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas.
Doniger says that NRDC will take the EPA to court if they continue with their plan.
According to the new EPA plan, methane regulations will be indirect.
Methane makes up almost 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Volatile organic compounds will be regulated under the new rule.
Curbing of these organic compounds will still result in reducing of some methane emissions.
The new EPA plan is subject to public review.
The new EPA plan could be finished in 2020, according to analysts.
The most noted greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide.
Methane is the second most noted greenhouse gas.
Methane has 80 times more power of trapping heat than carbon dioxide for its first 20 years in the atmosphere.
Most greenhouse emissions come from oil and gas industries.
Cattle and agriculture also make up part of the emissions.
The EPA states that new regulations will save between $17-19 million for the oil and gas industries per year.
The U.S. oil industry makes about $100-150 billion a year.
The EPA has previously tried to remove the Obama administration regulation in 2017.
This attempt to remove Obama-era regulations was oveturned in the federal appeals court.
The 2018 National Climate Assessment have given a statement as to the ill effects of global warming on the U.S. economy.
Some of these effects are worse wildfires and crop failures.
Spin (9)
The Department of the Interior was trying to weaken the Endagered Species Act.
EPA says new the methane regulations are an effort to get rid of impediments to growth in the economy.
"The Trump administration recognizes that methane is valuble and the industry has an incentive to minimize leaks and maximize its use." – EPA Admin Andrew Wheeler.
EPA's senior clean-air official Anne Idsal believes cuts on regulations will not have much of a positive impact.
Environmental advocates call regulation plans impediments towards fixing climate change.
David Doniger, a lawyer for Natural Resources Defense Council, believes the EPA doesn't care about industries producing a lot of pollution.
Obama administration regulation rules for methane have been targeted from the beginning of the Trump administration.
Trump has put aside the idea that climate change is being caused by man-made things.
These effects have potential to damage the U.S. economy by 10%
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 0000-00-00 00:00:00
Date Accessed: 0000-00-00 00:00:00
Article Author: Lisa Friedman and Coral Davenport
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