CONTRIBUTOR
The Biden administration proposed a new regulation Friday that would impose fines on oil and gas companies for methane emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced.
The policy would require companies to pay a penalty of $900 per every ton of methane emitted beyond limits established by the government starting this year, with the cost for each ton above the government’s thresholds increasing to $1,200 in 2025 and jumping to $1,500 in 2026 and beyond, according to the EPA. While the agency touts the proposal as a tool to reduce methane emissions, energy producers have slammed it for adding complexity to the regulatory environment and potentially driving up energy costs for consumers.
“Today’s proposal, when finalized, will support a complementary set of technology standards and historic resources from the Inflation Reduction Act, to incentivize industry innovation and prompt action,” Michael Regan, the EPA’s administrator, said of the proposal. “We are laser-focused on working collectively with companies, states and communities to ensure that America leads in deploying technologies and innovations that aid in the development of a clean energy economy.” (RELATED: Biden Admin Kicks Off 2024 By Unleashing $1 Billion Worth Of New Regulations)
‘Outrageous’: EPA Agents Are Flying Helicopters Over Texas Oil Fields To Crack Down On Methane Emissions From Drilling https://t.co/vg5JmFJ7jP
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 9, 2022
The proposal would become the first direct federal tax on emissions in the U.S. if it is finalized and implemented as planned, according to The New York Times. Congress approved the policy in the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s signature climate bill, which also contains $1 billion in grants and subsidies intended to improve methane leak detection.
The EPA estimates that methane drives one third of the warming occurring today and identifies the energy sector as the most significant industrial source of methane emissions in the country, according to its announcement. Environmentalists malign natural gas production in particular as a source of methane emissions, but natural gas burns more cleanly in comparison to other fossil fuels, such as coal, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“As the world looks to U.S. energy producers to provide stability in an increasingly unstable world, this punitive tax increase is a serious misstep that undermines America’s energy advantage,” Dustin Meyer, the senior vice president of Policy, Economics and Regulatory Affairs for the American Petroleum Institute, said of the proposal. “While we support smart federal methane regulation, this proposal creates an incoherent, confusing regulatory regime that will only stifle innovation and undermine our ability to meet rising energy demand.”
The EPA projects that the regulation would only have a limited impact on energy costs for Americans, but the policy is a de facto “natural gas tax” that will almost certainly drive up costs, Larry Behrens, the communications director for Power The Future, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Shortly after House Speaker Mike Johnson took over as the speaker of the House in October, dozens of Republicans in his caucus wrote to him urging that he endeavor to repeal the enabling statute behind the regulation that the EPA proposed Friday.
Friday’s proposal complements a December 2023 EPA proposal for methane detection requirements, which independent oil and gas companies strongly oppose because the increased compliance costs would put them at a disadvantage relative to the major firms.
The EPA did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
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I wonder what the methane spy helicopters use for fuel. 😉
All offset by the carbon offsets the EPA buys with the fines for themselves and the choppers silly. It’s a complex derivatives thingy that goes over deplorables heads.
In Alberta, they are learning again that methane can, if allowed, keep the lights on and prevent one from freezing to death. Wind and solar, not so effective. Not so safe.
In order to tax us, doesn’t the legislature have to pass a bill and the President sign it?
That’s very old school. That’s like saying Brandon would have needed the House’s authorization to send all those billions to Ukraine…
EVERYONE know it’s transgender pixie dust and unicorn flatulence…it’s SCIENCE.
If it moves tax it!
“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”― Ronald Reagan
Lets give credit where credit is due!!
‘Congress approved the policy in the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s signature climate bill, which also contains $1 billion in grants and subsidies intended to improve methane leak detection.‘
Congratulations, RINOs!! Either that or they must have missed this little nugget when they reviewed the bill.
Whoops, my bad – I forgot this passed strictly along party lines!
Yeah, and Joe Mancin, the so-called moderate Senator from West Virginia voted for it.
Manchin portrays himself as a moderate but he votes with the radical leftists.
Manchin is not a moderate, and that’s why he would lose his next Senate election if he were to run. But he’s not running because he knows he would lose, so now he is pretending to be a moderate again so he can run for president on the “No Labels” indendent ticket, but Joe Manchin does have a label, it’s called “radical leftists”. If you vote with radical leftists, then you are a radical leftist.
This topic will be discussed at length if Joe Manchin has the temerity to run for president as an “independent”.
The polls indicate Manchin is averaging less than 1% support – a little bit behind Stein of the green party.
No one likes this clown. He would receive some independent support if he didn’t eventually cave in and lick Biden’s boots every time he pretends he’s some sort of crusader for common sense.
He pisses off his own team, and he never, ever stands up for anything independent in the end. He might as well run, because “No Labels” with him in front would quickly be labeled “No Chance”.
Since Fetterman was released from the psych ward, he’s beginning to make some sense.
Yes, the more his brain recovers the less progressive and more conservative he becomes.
It really is important to note that Joe Manchin could have stopped the ridiculously named “Inflation Reduction Act” but did not.
Yes, that’s very important to note. The spending authorized by this law just increases inflation. Manchin was promoting it as a way to reduce inflation.
Most of this Inflation Reduction Act spending is wasted on “climate change solutions”.
Non solutions to a non problem that just shifts taxpayer dollars into the pockets of big green extortionists
Don’t forget John Testor from Montana, a heavily Republican state.
He is also up this cycle.
Good point. Both Manchin and Testor pretend to be moderates, but they always vote with the radical Democrats. That makes both of them radical Democrats and their votes are detrimental to the nation because they promote the radical Democrat agenda which is destroying the United States.
“The EPA estimates that methane drives one third of the warming occurring today”.. But that is only for an equal weight of CO2. And methane is measured in ppb, far smaller in volume than CO2.
First of all, the EPA does not have evidence CO2 “drives” any detectable warming of the Earth’s atmosphere, and they certainly don’t have any evidence that methane does any detectable warming of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Attacking methane is attacking the human food supply. Attacking methane should be stopped in its tracks.
These climate change alarmists are insane and going off half-cocked and their stupidity and delusional thinking are a danger to the rest of us who have to eat.
There is no evidence that CO2 is anything other than a benign gas, essential for life on Earth, and that goes double for methane.
There is no evident either one of these gases is detrimentally affecting the Earth’s climate. Until such evidence surfaces, governments should leave them, and the human race, and the Earth alone.
A bunch of damn fools assuming they know what they are doing, when it is demonstrable they don’t know what they are doing, and demonstrable they have no evidence to back up their claims that either CO2 or methane are detrimental to human existence.
Trump will overturn all this stupidty if elected. The Biden administration ia a Lame Duck. Bye, bye, Soon. Although, not soon enough.
well stated tom.
i will add.
day one of a trump second term.
repeal epa rule making authority.
day two.
slash epa budget 90%.
day three.
roll back epa regs to pre co2 finding.
day four.
sit back and watch out economy boom.
day five liberal heads explode.
I think they will explode long before day 5…
They’ll start exploding the day after election day and continue throughout inauguration day
Their heads may start exploding tonight after the voting in Iowa, if Trump does well.
Don’t forget: withdraw from IPCC and the COP treaties. Needs to be Day 1.
Haley would as well. Trump has issues.
No, Haley has paid tribute at the altar of blaming CO2 for “Climate Change.” It would have to be one of the others. I think we’re stuck with Trump, like it or not. He definitely has issues and spent four years not getting anything done, but that’s at least four more years to watch as Germany and the UK dig themselves further into the hole.
“and spent four years not getting anything done”
I don’t see how you can say that. Trump got a *lot* done, and did it in the face of tremendous oppostion from every corner. It’s a wonder he got anything done considering what he was up against, but I’ll take his administration any day over any other short of Ronald Reagan’s.
Trump had the U.S. economy booming. Then covid came along and smacked us in the face, but by the time Trump left office the economy was booming again. There were 500,000 new jobs created in the last quarter of Trump’s term (which Biden promptly took credit for).
The Bad Guys of the world were afraid of Trump. They have no fear of Joe Biden and we see the results of their lack of fear, on the world stage: conflict is breaking out all over.
I’ll take Trump’s “lack of success” every day of the week. Give me more! The world needs more!
“Trump has issues”
The Democrats create the “false narrative” issues. They will create the same type of issues for any Republican who threatens their socialist paradise.
If it’s not Trump, it will be the next Republican up. As soon as the radical Democrats know who to focus on, they will start up the demonization machine. You can bet money on it.
So it doesn’t matter who represents the Republicans, they will be demonized to the best of the ability of the Democrats. It’s what the Democrats do to win elections, since they have no saleable policies.
If Trump goes down, the next complaint we will hear is Nikki Haley has too many issuses to be elected.
Perhaps we should ignore the Democrat demonization machine and look at all the good times we had with Trump, and the good times to be had with Trump in the future.
Radical Democrats lie all the time about Republicans. That should be taken into consideration.
Trump has been a liberal Democrat before. He will be one again if he thinks it will benefit him.
Don’t forget that Reagan was also a Democrat before the Party changed.
The Democrat Party has been going downhill since JFK.
You keep saying that.
EXACTLY
I can definitely say, we need more warming today and for the next few days, Come on methane.
Yeah, it’s 17F here at my house right now, and I know I’m one of the lucky ones. It’s much colder just a little bit farther north of here. Arctic air is settling in.
It’s still -12F at my house which is more than 30F lower than an average low for the date (going back 150 years).
Ouch!
My water just froze this morning. It’s 2F outside.
Look on the bright side: At least I still have electricity! 🙂
Last night at 6 my thermometer was at -34F. This morning it was bottomed
out, which is a new one for me.
That’s horrible! Dangerous cold.
We need reliable electrical grids in this kind of weather.
I’ve seen what happens when the power fails in these conditions.
It’s very stressful. The local utility has spent big bucks over the past
decade on solar and wind power at the same time they’ve shut
down some of the Coal Strip base load plant. I know some
retired linemen that used to go down to the shop and have coffee
in the mornings but have since stopped. They say its because the company has gone woke and it’s not the same as when they were there.
Only -22 below this AM, yesterday it was between -40 and -50. I
have to wonder if the rumors of geo-engineering by the
government are true.
It’s worse than that leefor. Measured in a lab in a completely dry atmosphere free of all greenhouse gasses methane is a good warmer. But in the real atmosphere with a normal measure of various greenhouse gasses, Happer et. al. found that added methane has a negligibly small effect because the IR bands in which it operates are fully occupied by other gasses. EPA simply chooses to ignore scientific findings that conflict with what they want to do. It is the same thought near all of Government “science” these days. We cannot trust the Government any more.
“EPA simply chooses to ignore scientific findings that conflict with what they want to do.”
That’s exactly right and it is time the EPA was called out on this and now would seem to be the time.
Prove that methane needs regulation, EPA. Prove that methane has a discernable effect on the Earth’s temperatures or weather.
And while you are at it, prove that CO2 is anything other than a benign gas.
The EPA is not following the science.
Trace amounts of methane are not a pollutant, the EPA has no authority to regulate it.
The green wackos need to regulate Senate Fossil Jerry Nadler who is unable to control his methane emissions.
Nadler is a Representative, and he does need to be regulated.
Hmmmm, let’s see…Henry Hub price was $3.33 per million BTU yesterday. That’s about 1000 cubic feet, about 43 pounds of natural gas, so $155 per ton is the cost of Natural gas (more at your house)…..So by 2026 that $155 worth of gas is going to cost the producer $1500 if some “inspector” happens to think it is leaking somewhere.
Blowing down a pipeline because of a backhoe strike could easily result in a million dollar bill to the backhoe operator.
This for a gas whose major emission/absorption bands already have 90% absorption by water vapor or nitrous oxides… on the poorly thought out basis that a molecule of CH4 is 25 times as efficient as CO2 at absorbing IR. (which is telescoped to a GWP of 86 by people who go out in helicopters and say they found 2.5% leakage rates…ergo, methane is worse for producing CO2 than burning coal).
Well if towing sensors under a helicopter really worked, that’s how cities would charge citizens for watering lawns……
So really this just a tax on the natural gas industry, which is well aware that lost product is lost profit, which will be paid by people who heat their houses or use petrochemicals, which is everybody. …Caused by innumerate crazy rabid greenies.
Brings to mind…
I invite everyone to read an almost ten year old column on this very site; written by Dr. Tom Sheahen, entitled “Methane, The Irrelevant Greenhouse Gas”.
Right on George, here’s a link
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/04/11/methane-the-irrelevant-greenhouse-gas/
CO2 is also an irrelevant “greenhouse” gas… although it’s probably safe to say that water vapour does have some measurable effects, at least.
If the choppers are using infrared sensors to detect flaring…
… the obvious solution is not the flare. ! 😉
darn typo…. not to flare.
Most oil and gas companies have already agreed to stop flaring anyway. In 2022 Exxon became the 53rd company to agree to stop flaring by 2030. This may be the EPA trying to make a fast buck before the deadline and claim a false victory.
Flaring methane from larger wastewater plants is the norm.
Are they searching for new sites for temperature stations?
Any time the Republicans pretend they’re sensible about this issue and any time Joe Manchin pretends he’s some kind of maverick, I remind myself of the “Inflation Reduction Act,” and how devastating this will be for our economy for the foreseeable future.
Throw the rascals out. Every damn one of them.
The rich have the money to hire their replacements with some big campaign contributions.
There is methane outgassing from private water wells in our area. My kid brother demonstrated this to me years ago at my parents’ house. It was an impressive burst of flame! I forget exactly how he had collected the gas, but it was simple to do. And this has nothing to do with gas drilling or fracking, as there was none of that going on.
Imposing fines on leakage is just very dumb. And as others have noted above, methane has no impact on the climate, despite the exaggerated claims.
It’s advisable to find out the source of this methane as there are at least two potentially hazardous causes. If it’s produced by bacteria, there is a source of organic matter that could lead to some disease. It there is a human or natural methane source, there is the risk of explosion from its accumulation in a confined space.
Point well taken.
There is one small (maybe 150 services) in central oregon that had a photo on the pump house wall of the original 400 feet deep well flaring about 15 feet high.
They stopped using that well due to nasty/icky (my engr assessment) water and put in shallow ( and unconfined) wells.
They had decided they would rather use water that included the drainfield perc, and disinfect it, rather than the methane water with tough treatment parameters.
So does the EPA get to fine the Biden Administration for the methane emissions caused when they blew up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline?
Or does it have to occur on US territory only?
Will it impose fines on Biden himself for the methane emitted from his depends.
The Death of Science..
Medicine used to be “first do no harm.”
Now, harm seems to be an acceptable harmaceutical side effect.
-20 F. 40 mph wind -57 F windchill Hopefully the government doesn’t tax propane out of existence.
I feel for you. That’s nasty, and dangerous.
Wind is a killer. It was -12F when I shoveled my walk and half my driveway this morning, but there is no wind. Other than the cold, which could have been another degree on average colder due to warming, it was so peaceful, quiet and pleasant knowing that I had a hot coffee waiting in my natural gas warmed house.
The snow was so light and fluffy, I briefly considered heading to the high country for some turns. Turns out that its warmer in the mountains but windy, so I’ll stay home and finish shoveling the driveway later.
As an electrician working at the airfield at the Tonopah test range in Nevada I would shower in the morning (staying at the man camp on site) and walk across the compound carrying my coat over my shoulder in the mornings going to the chow hall. It was before sunrise in the winter and almost always dead calm. Temperatures often into the single digits F. I would never feel cold for the couple of minutes outside but my still damp hair would freeze. About 40 minutes later after the sun came up, the wind would start, and coat and gloves went on before leaving the chow hall.
It is about 28°F here on the west slope at 6500′. And we have about 40mph winds. Got a trace of snow overnight.
You’re definitely on the pleasant side of the divide today. It’s getting close to today’s high and it’s still only -3F.
“The snow was so light and fluffy,”
We had about three inches of light and fluffy snow yesterday. It was so fluffy I used a leafblower to blow all the snow off the porches and cars. That’s the only way to “shovel” snow when the conditions are right, which isn’t often enough. Wet, heavy snow doesn’t do anything when you turn a leafblower on it. 🙂
What a bunch of hypocritical idiots! Here’s the fuel burn of light turbine powered helicopters and the attendant CO2 released by that fuel burn: NOTE Jet fuel releases 3.106 times more CO2 by weight as the fuel weight (because we are adding a lot of oxygen mass to the combustion process)
US gallons, and Jet A weighs 6.7 lbs/gallon
MD-500 (Magnum PI chopper) 24 gal/hr = 161 lbs/hr = 499 lbs CO2/hr
Bell 206 JetRanger 30 gal/hr = 201 lbs/hr = 624 lbs CO2/hr.
Airbus EC 135 75 gal/hr = 503 lbs/hr = 1,561 lbs CO2/hr
Bell 212 106 gal/hr = 709 lbs/hr = 2,202 lbs CO2/hr
Sikorsky S92 179 gal/hr = 1,199 lbs/hr = 3,725 lbs CO2/hr
And a UH-60 Blackhawk 350 gal/hr = 2,345 lbs/hr = 7,284 lbs CO2/hr
So these numbskulls are flying around, emitting 1-4 tons of CO2 per hour in the twin engine or military choppers, looking for small amounts of methane over vast oilfields…. Brilliant work by bean counters with peanut sized brains!
Methane causes one third of the warming today? So EPA thinks that Happer and Wjingaarden are wrong. Perhaps they will explain but likely not.
Nonsense. Oil companies want to know where gas is leaking, they’d rather use it on site or sell it than flare it off. But if it is flared off, it isn’t methane anymore. If a helicopter, with an insane pilot, was far enough from a flame to avoid having the occupants singed, it wouldn’t be able to detect the output from the background or its own exhaust wash.
The District of Columbia is built on a swamp. Inspite of the over build (over and above the effluent from near 2½ centuries of two-legged gators), it probably outgasses more methane over a single city block than you’d get from the average oil well.
Why have we stopped discussing the 25th amendment?
Tax on cows coming soon.
Bet they won’t pay it:-)
Right – they’ll be too busy running away from the helicopters!
Faux problems based on a faux science proposing faux solutions by a faux federal agency urged on by a faux ideological cult. Oh, and a faux administration showing faux concern for the planet.
What more do ya need to know to get rid of the grifters now in power?
Only Congress can raise taxes—Creepy Joe and all the marxo-democrat totalitarians need to be sent to Siberia PDQ.
This is just outside Calgary this morning. We are using quite a lot of methane to keep the house liveable but, in contrast to the perceptions of the wackos in the EPA, methane leak is failing to keep the climate from doing its challenging winter routine.
In that range °C vs. °F doesn’t matter.
-40 is the measurement point where C vs F doesn’t matter.
Ughh, that’s -48 F. I live a few miles away from you….was -40 at 6 AM and one furnace went out…
Here’s something the Biden Administration must avoid. Methane cold seeps along the US Atlantic coast were estimate at three (3). Turns out there are 570. Think about what would be reported if a comparable study was conducted internationally. Those helicopters spying on oil and gas fugitive emissions are following the consistent democrat playbook of doing the wrong thing, at the wrong time, in the wrong way:
Natural Methane Seepage on U.S. Atlantic Ocean Margin Widespread | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov)
Aug 25, 2014
Natural methane leakage from the seafloor is far more widespread on the U.S. Atlantic margin than previously thought, according to a study by researchers from Mississippi State University, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other institutions.
Methane plumes identified in the water column between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and Georges Bank, Massachusetts, are emanating from at least 570 seafloor cold seeps on the outer continental shelf and the continental slope. Taken together, these areas, which lie between the coastline and the deep ocean, constitute the continental margin. Prior to this study, only three seep areas had been identified.
Anytime something is more or less than previously thought only means that the error bands of the measurement used to determine what was thought was less than adequate to make any valid determination.
Now realize that all laws passed on the basis of what was previously thought are incorrect as well.
All government fines placed on oil and gas companies are taxes placed on consumers. Oil and gas companies are not charities and they don’t own printing presses.
Why is it that charging more money is always the solution to all problems for democrats?
The fines go into the government coffers and support ‘woke’ programs that would otherwise have to be funded by direct taxes, which are more obvious than indirect taxes.
Proof positive that our government is completely out of control. It has come to the point where I think whole departments must be abolished. Start with the EPA then the department of energy then the department of education. The department of justice must be cut down drastically especially the FBI.
The EPA is incompetent. This is a good time to remind readers that I have analyzed the claim and find it wanting:
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/03/06/the-misguided-crusade-to-reduce-anthropogenic-methane-emissions/
I would welcome anyone to try to find problems with my analysis.