Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to roll back existing regulations covering new source methane emissions.

“Today’s announcement that the EPA will roll back the rule on methane leak detection from the oil and gas industry makes no sense. It will stall the progress being made towards decreasing emissions from fossil operations. Major oil and gas companies are actively investing in, developing, and using new technologies to detect and repair leaks, which are known to be a public health risk and contribute to climate change. There is no excuse to roll these regulations back when industry has the technology to do so safely and efficiently.”

Senator Manchin has previously expressed his support for investments in emissions reducing technologies, which are necessary to address the global climate challenge. In July, Senator Manchin led his colleagues in calling on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive review of methane emissions. In the letter, the Senators emphasize the importance of reducing methane waste in the fight against climate change, and call for the federal government to review and improve its technologies for measuring methane emissions and ensuring a fair return for public-owned resources.

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