Washington, D.C. – Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH) issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed methane emissions standards for the oil and gas sector:
“Today’s EPA rule proposal is a solution in search of a problem. The EPA has already identified that ‘voluntary reductions’ by the industry have led to a dramatic decline in methane emissions. According to the Agency’s own research, methane emissions from natural gas production have dropped 38% percent since 2005, while production of shale gas has increased by 26% over the same time. U.S. Energy Secretary Moniz has also stated the industry is already addressing methane emissions through green completion techniques that capture methane for economic benefit.
The proposed rule is duplicative, and serves as another example of how this administration is using the EPA to target specific industries with costly, unnecessary regulations in an attempt to build a political legacy. The development of our natural gas resources across the country has generated hundreds of thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in investments, and provided the opportunity for this country to have the energy security we’ve sought for decades.
Additional unnecessary regulations like those proposed today will only further weaken the country’s competitiveness in the global energy market, discourage future investment, and stifle further economic growth.”
