Washington, DC - Today, the Environmental Protection Agency opened the rulemaking for its Waste Emissions Charge regulation, designed to achieve important methane pollution reductions from the oil and gas industry as quickly as possible. The charge is a component of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program established through the Inflation Reduction Act. The announcement will now kick off a 45-day comment period.
In response, Sierra Club Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy Mahyar Sorour said:
“The Waste Emissions Charge will work hand-in-hand with the critical oil and gas methane standards announced by EPA on the world stage at COP28. This charge will hold industry responsible for polluting neighboring communities and supercharging climate change with their methane emissions. Sierra Club looks forward to actively participating in the comment period to ensure that the final guidance is clear and does not allow oil and gas companies to exploit any loopholes.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's 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. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.