Wednesday, March 1st, 2017 and is filed under Uncategorized
When it comes to the Bureau of Land Management’s rule on methane venting and flaring, the real question is, “who has the authority to regulate the air – the BLM or the EPA?”
Experts in the oil and gas industry believe that the BLM does not have the statutory authority to regulate air quality, but the Environmental Protection Agency does.
If that is the case, then the BLM’s rule on methane venting and flaring should be repealed because the EPA already has rules in place for the natural gas industry.
Erik Milito, opinion contributor for The Hill, published a recent article which details the effectiveness of the EPA current regulations, showing that the BLM’s rule is redundant.
In the article Milito states:
Technological innovation and industry leadership, combined with effective state and federal regulations, are making the difference. That makes the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) new Methane and Waste Prevention rule not only redundant but actually counterproductive. BLM’s new policy, also called the venting and flaring rule, is just the kind of regulation the Congressional Review Act was designed to correct.
From a technical perspective alone, the rule is misguided. BLM lacks the statutory authority and expertise to regulate air quality. That authority rests with EPA and the states under the Clean Air Act, and the data make it clear the existing system is effective.
But it’s the practical impact that demands action from Congress.
Read the full article at Senate must act on BLM methane rule
