Trump, GOP Expected to Undo New EPA Methane Emission Rule

November 13, 2024 TruthUSA

The greenhouse gas levy will need congressional action to be reversed. With Republican critics leading committees, the possibility of its repeal arises in early 2025.

News Analysis

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced a methane emissions rule imposing a first-ever “Waste Emissions Charge” on oil/gas producers, starting at $900 per metric ton of emissions this year and increasing to $1,500 per ton by 2026.

However, the chances of the rule surviving are slim, given the current political climate. President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to roll back environmental regulations and fees, including the Waste Emissions Charge, may lead to its demise. The rule is a groundbreaking measure imposed on the U.S. domestic fossil fuel industry, which Trump aims to reverse as part of his pro-oil and gas industry agenda.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) has been appointed by Trump to head the EPA, signaling a clear intention to target the methane rule implemented in 2022 through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), along with other environmental regulations under various federal laws.

These laws include the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The announcement of the rule was made by the EPA on Nov. 12 during the U.N. Climate Change Conference, or COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan. This was in accordance with new criteria established following the EPA’s release of final standards under the Clean Air Act in March 2024. These standards aimed to significantly reduce methane emissions from both new and existing oil/gas operations.