{"id":3263,"date":"2026-04-08T03:36:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T03:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3263"},"modified":"2026-04-10T15:25:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T15:25:51","slug":"trump-administration-finalizes-methane-rule-that-will-loosen-restrictions-on-gas-flaring-increase-pollution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3263","title":{"rendered":"Trump Administration Finalizes Methane Rule That Will Loosen Restrictions on Gas Flaring, Increase Pollution"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Yesterday, the EPA\u00a0finalized<\/a>\u00a0its first reconsideration of the 2024 methane rule, an action that will increase gas flaring at oil wells and increase climate and air pollution.\u00a0Finalized<\/a>\u00a0by the EPA in December 2023 following a robust comment period, the methane pollution standards represented a major win for climate and public health \u2014 introducing the first-ever requirements for existing equipment while strengthening standards for new sources all at a reasonable cost.<\/p>\n

In response, Sierra Club Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy Mahyar Sorour released the following statement:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Trump EPA\u2019s move to loosen restrictions on gas flaring at oil wells is a massive step backward for public health, the climate, and economic common sense. Allowing more flaring will drive up harmful emissions, worsening smog and soot pollution in already overburdened communities while accelerating the climate crisis. At the same time, while families across the country are struggling to afford their energy bills, EPA is making it even worse with this action.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis Trump giveaway to Big Oil sacrifices the well-being of communities and consumers alike. It\u2019s time to break our dependence on polluting, volatile fossil fuels and instead invest in affordable, reliable, and clean renewable energy that protects people and the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Antoinette Reyes, Methane Campaign Organizer with the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter, released the following statement:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNew Mexico has banned\u00a0 routine venting and flaring in the Permian Basin \u2014 because wasting gas is both an environmental failure and an economic one. The Trump EPA\u2019s rollback of federal methane standards undermines that progress by letting irresponsible operators across state lines burn and vent gas rather than capture it, even as a war-driven global energy crisis causes prices to soar all while our local air gets dirtier. These rules were our best tool for leveling the playing field and holding polluters accountable, for example making sure Texas pollution isn\u2019t harming New Mexicans. Weakening these standards rewards polluters and penalizes responsible actors. Pollution doesn\u2019t stop at the state border, and neither should accountability. The polluter should pay \u2014 not families and not our communities\u2019 health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cyrus Reed, Legislative and Conservation Director for Sierra Club\u2019s Lone Star Chapter, released the following statement:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cTexas produces more oil and gas than any other state, and weak state regulations also have us leading in climate-disrupting methane emissions. This federal announcement to further loosen standards is exactly the wrong move , it wastes resources, increases pollution, and puts our industry on the wrong path, sacrificing communities to well-heeled lobbying interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

About the Sierra Club<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sierra Club is America\u2019s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person\u2019s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action.\u00a0For more information, visit\u00a0www.sierraclub.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Featured image<\/a> by Joshua Doubek<\/a>, (CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

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