One important but overlooked cause of climate change is methane emissions. In Pennsylvania, oil and gas companies release over 1.1 million tons of methane every year. This contributes significantly to the state’s global warming pollution, as methane has 86 times the heating potential as carbon dioxide does within 20 years.
To help rein in this pollution, the EPA finalized new regulations last year to drastically limit methane emissions from oil and gas companies. This is an important rule that will help our climate, and Pennsylvania is now tasked with putting together a plan for how the commonwealth will achieve the necessary reductions to reap the full benefits of this EPA rule, limit climate pollution, and protect our health at the same time.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection should finalize the strongest possible state implementation plan for the EPA methane rule as soon as possible to protect our health, tackle climate change and build a safer Pennsylvania for all of us.
Hudson Alpert
Oakland