Trump administration looks to delay methane emissions rules
Thursday, October 12, 2017
The Interior Department wants to delay methane emissions rules for one year while it considers relaxing or getting rid of the oil and gas industry regulations, according to CNBC.
The Obama-era methane emissions rules are meant to reduce leaking, venting and flaring of planet-warming methane from drilling activity. However, the Trump administration would like to roll back the rules as part of a wider agenda of energy sector deregulation. The Bureau of Land Management wants to avoid imposing temporary or permanent compliance costs on operators for requirements that may be rescinded or weakened soon.
The BLM plans to delay the rules until January 2019, including requirements that producers submit plans to cut waste, measure and report gas flared from wells and dispose of gas that reaches the surface during drilling and well completion.
Learn more: CNBC > Trump Interior Department will delay methane emissions rules for oil and gas industry
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.