EDF Will Defend Oil and Gas Methane Protections Now Facing Court Challenge

The state of Texas filed a lawsuit today to block the Environmental Protections Agency’s protective limits on methane pollution from new and existing oil and gas sources – safeguards that will reduce tens of millions of tons of climate-damaging methane and other toxic, smog-forming pollution from oil and gas leaks, venting and flaring.

“EPA’s commonsense oil and gas methane protections deliver vital reductions in climate and health-harming pollution. The standards are the culmination of a rigorous public process and reflect the input and support of a wide variety of stakeholders, including states, Tribes, community groups, technology providers, and leading oil and gas operators. EPA’s final methane protections for the oil and gas sector are firmly rooted in the extensive factual record before the agency and EPA’s core authority, reinforced in recent years by Congress, to address harmful methane pollution under the Clean Air Act. Environmental Defense Fund looks forward to vigorously defending these standards in court and helping to realize their benefits for communities long overburdened by oil and gas pollution.”

            - Rosalie Winn, EDF Director and Lead Counsel for Methane and Clean Air Policy