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President’s Administration To Finalize Methane Emissions Cuts
By: Associated Press
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WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration is finalizing a rule to cut methane emissions from U.S. oil and gas production by nearly half over the next decade. It’s part of an ongoing push by the president to curb climate change.
A rule issued Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency would cut methane from drilling by 40 to 45 percent by 2025, compared to 2012 levels.
The rule would make energy producers find and repair leaks at oil and gas wells and capture gas that escapes from wells that use hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Methane is a component of natural gas. It’s far more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, making it a top target for environmentalists worried about global warming.