March 26, 2021
OEC Statement on Senate Resolution to Reduce Methane Pollution
Washington, DC — Yesterday, members of the U.S. Senate introduced a resolution that would reinstate the Environmental Protection Agency’s methane pollution safeguards using the Congressional Review Act.
The following quote can be attributed to Miranda Leppla, Vice President of Energy Policy for the Ohio Environmental Council:
“The U.S. Senate’s action to reinstate the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2016 methane pollution regulations brings us one step closer to securing cleaner air for all Ohioans. Updating and strengthening these standards will reduce methane emissions, prevent the climate crisis from worsening, and protect frontline communities.
“We applaud the Senate for taking a stand against regressive environmental policies that hurt our climate and our health. Methane is a potent climate pollutant that accelerates climate change and can worsen respiratory illness as it is released alongside toxic air pollution during oil and gas production. Communities of color and low-income communities, who are already hit hardest by pollution and climate change, bear a disproportionate burden of methane pollution from the oil and gas sector. We can, and must, cut methane pollution from new and existing oil and gas operations by 65 percent below 2012 levels in the next five years using existing, low-cost technologies to address climate change and protect our health.”