Clean-Air advocates praise new BLM limits on methane pollution

Natural gas flaring on federal and tribal land would be reduced and taxed under new rules proposed by the Bureau of Land Management. (Environmental Defense Fund)

<span>SALT LAKE CITY – The </span><a href=”http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/wo/Communications_Directorate/public_affairs/news_release_attachments.Par.15043.File.dat/VF%20Proposed%20Rule%20Waste%20Prevention.pdf” target=”parent”>Bureau of Land Management</a><span> is clamping down on companies that dump methane gas into the atmosphere. Methane is the principal component of natural gas, and the agency says oil and gas wells on federal and tribal land leak, flare or vent enough methane each year to power 5 million homes. </span>

<span>The BLM just announced a draft rule that would force companies to install new technology to capture the wasted gas at well sites. Kathy Van Dame, board member from the nonprofit Breathe Utah, says the new rules are an important step.</span>

<span>”It could have been fuel to make electricity for us or to heat our homes, but rather, it’s escaping into the atmosphere,” says Van Dame. “We’re losing all of that economic value. And when it’s un-burned, it is a potent greenhouse gas.”</span>

<span>Under the proposal, venting gas would be prohibited except in emergencies. Companies would be required to install new components and retrain their workers to avoid leaks. Flaring or burning off the gas would only be allowed at lower levels, and the companies would have to pay royalties on what they waste. A study by the Western Values Project estimates Utah has lost out on $31 million in such royalties since 2009.</span>

<span>Jamie Riccobono, executive director with the American Lung Association of Utah, says the release of methane and other pollutants is linked to cancer and asthma. And she notes that in Utah, the problem is primarily hitting rural communities near oil and gas development.</span>

<span>”One study found 90 percent of the ozone pollution in the Uinta Basin here in Utah was from oil and gas operations,” says Riccobono.</span>

<span>The draft rule will be soon be published in the Federal Register, which kicks off a 60-day public comment period. The BLM is planning several public meetings on the proposed rule in February and March.</span>

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!