Story at a glance
- The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to reimpose methane leak requirements on oil and gas companies lifted during the Trump administration.
- The measure cleared the Senate by a 52-42 margin and marks the first time since 1996 that a federal law has been undone by congressional review.
- “It is one of the first things we’ve done to fight global warming,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said. “It will certainly not be the last.”
The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to reimpose methane leak requirements on oil and gas companies lifted during the Trump administration.
The measure cleared the Senate by a 52-42 margin and marks the first time since 1996 that a federal law has been undone by congressional review, The Washington Post reported. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted the requirements rule in 2016. President Biden has reversed 28 Trump-era climate policies so far, according to a Washington Post analysis.
“We have to stop lighting the matches of methane pollution,” Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), said at a news conference Wednesday morning. Markey previously joined Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) earlier in April to mark the relaunch of the Green New Deal.
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Reporting requirements would mandate companies to inspect for methane leaks every six months on equipment installed after 2015, according to the Post. All leaks would need to be plugged within 30 days of discovery.
Some Republican lawmakers expressed skepticism in a debate Wednesday.
“The resolution we have in front of us today is nothing more than a public posturing,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).
President Biden has emphasized the challenges of climate change in the first hundred days of his presidency and committed to reducing carbon emission in the U.S. by 50 percent by 2030.
“These steps will set America on a path of net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050,” Biden said last week in remarks from the White House, according to NBC. “But the truth is, America represents less than 50 percent of the world’s emissions. No nation can solve this crisis on our own, as I know you all fully understand.”
Additionally, several companies, including BP, have backed the rule.
“Regulating methane emissions is essential to preventing leaks throughout the industry and protecting the environment,” Mary Streett, BP’s senior vice president for U.S. advocacy, told the Washington Post in a statement.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer told reporters the damage done by the rule’s initial repeal can be undone quickly and the congressional push to restore requirements reflects movement in the right direction, the Post reported.
“It is one of the first things we’ve done to fight global warming,” Schumer said. “It will certainly not be the last.”
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