Congressman Lowenthal Statement on Newly Proposed Federal Methane Rule
January 28, 2016
Press Release
Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) today issued the following statement on the announcement by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell of a new proposed rule aimed at curbing emissions of methane from oil and gas drilling on public lands:
"Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that damages our climate. Hundreds of billions of tons of methane, owned by every American, have been wasted from public lands oil and gas development just since 2009, with no compensation for American taxpayers. Regulations for methane on public lands haven't been updated in about 30 years, but we now have the technology to limit and measure methane waste from oil and gas activities. I applaud Secretary Jewell's steps to employ commonsense measures to limit this potent greenhouse gas and to ensure a fair return to taxpayers on all of the methane taken out of the ground."
Congressman Lowenthal is the lead sponsor of HR 3289, the Natural Gas Environmental and Economic Security Act, that would charge a royalty on methane that is vented, flared, or leaked, and would take steps to update the measurement and reporting of all methane coming from public lands. He is the Ranking Member of the Energy and Mineral Resources subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee and the Chair of the House Safe Climate Caucus.
"Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that damages our climate. Hundreds of billions of tons of methane, owned by every American, have been wasted from public lands oil and gas development just since 2009, with no compensation for American taxpayers. Regulations for methane on public lands haven't been updated in about 30 years, but we now have the technology to limit and measure methane waste from oil and gas activities. I applaud Secretary Jewell's steps to employ commonsense measures to limit this potent greenhouse gas and to ensure a fair return to taxpayers on all of the methane taken out of the ground."
Congressman Lowenthal is the lead sponsor of HR 3289, the Natural Gas Environmental and Economic Security Act, that would charge a royalty on methane that is vented, flared, or leaked, and would take steps to update the measurement and reporting of all methane coming from public lands. He is the Ranking Member of the Energy and Mineral Resources subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee and the Chair of the House Safe Climate Caucus.