More than a dozen states have sued the Obama administration over a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule to limit methane emissions at oil and natural gas sites according to an August 2, 2016 report from The Hill.

West Virginia, along with governments and agencies representing 12 other states, filed suit against the EPA on August 2nd looking to block methane standards the agency released in May.

The rule, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) said in a statement, is unnecessary and would add new costs to oil and gas drillers’ operations. Morrissey also warned the rule will allow for follow-up regulations from future presidential administrations.

“The rules are a solution in search of a problem and ignore the industry’s success in voluntarily reducing methane emissions from these sources to a 30-year low,” Morrissey said.

The EPA rule is part of an Obama administration effort to reduce methane emissions by up to 45 percent by 2025. The regulation limits leaks or flaring at new or modified drilling wells around the country.

States joining West Virginia’s lawsuit include Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin. The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality signed on as well.

What this means to you
West Virginia, along with 12 other states, filed suit against the EPA on August 2nd looking to block EPA methane emission standards EPA released in May. “The rules ignore the industry’s success in voluntarily reducing methane emissions from these sources to a 30-year low,” West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey said.

MIRATECH can help
Contact MIRATECH for engine emission solutions at oil and gas sites.