Pennsylvania Publishes Draft Plan for Cutting Methane at Existing Oil and Gas Sites

(Harrisburg, Pa. – May 22, 2020) The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is publishing a draft rule to further reduce methane emissions from oil and gas facilities. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas emitted from thousands of well sites across Pennsylvania. Two years ago, the state addressed emissions from new oil and gas sources. This rule would be the first regulation to address emissions from the state’s existing infrastructure. The public will have 66 days to comment on the draft rule.

“Gov. Wolf has demonstrated clear leadership by moving this rulemaking forward. Our analysis found that Pennsylvania oil and gas operators emit more than one million tons of methane annually. Cutting methane pollution from existing oil and gas sources is critical to meeting our climate goals. The Department of Environmental Protection should strengthen the draft rule to address emissions from across the oil and gas supply chain – including low-producing wells that are responsible for half of all emissions statewide.”

• Dan Grossman, Senior Director of State Advocacy, Environmental Defense Fund

“Given that natural gas will remain a large part of Pennsylvania’s electric generation for the foreseeable future, we need to ensure that we don’t lose the progress we’ve made in reducing carbon emissions. One way that that can happen is through fugitive emissions from the gas supply chain. This rulemaking moves us closer to a sustainable and economically viable energy portfolio by holding producers to a reasonable standard that can be met at little or no cost to them.”

• Davitt Woodwell, President, Pennsylvania Environmental Council