Report: Trump Administration Wants to Ease Methane Pollution Rules

The Trump administration has reportedly moved to ease rules on methane pollution for energy companies with a proposal that marks the third rollback this year of government efforts to fight climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to unveil a proposal to relax Obama-era methane requirements as early as this week, according to documents cited by The New York Times. The new methane plan would require oil and gas drillers to conduct leak inspections only once a year instead of once every six months, as the 2016 rule currently requires. In addition, a company would be given 60 days to repair a leak rather than the current 30. Environmentalists say the plan would inevitably cause a surge in the amount of methane leaking into the atmosphere and further fuel global warming. The EPA has said the proposed changes will save the oil and gas industry $484 million by 2025.