Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted By the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to ``Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources Review''
Floor Speech
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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, along with Mr. Peters and Mr. Lamb, I am very proud to stand as the sponsor of the House companion of S.J. Res. 14, and I rise in strong support of the legislation.
The purpose of the legislation is very simple. It is to reduce our methane emissions and to help stave off the worst effects of the climate crisis before it is too late.
Methane, as we all know, is one of the most potent greenhouse gases on the planet, and when it is released into our atmosphere, it becomes a leading contributor to global warming.
Climate experts agree that one of the most important things we can do right now to combat the climate crisis is to reduce the amount of methane in our atmosphere, and that is exactly what this legislation does.
It restores the 2016 methane emission rules that were put into place during the Obama administration, and it negates the Trump administration's last-minute attempt to roll back these rules on its way out the door.
One-third of all of the methane that is released in this country comes from the production of oil and gas.
This legislation will, once again, require our oil and gas producers to take the steps needed to reduce the methane emitting from their drilling sites.
These emissions don't just harm our planet. When methane is released from oil and gas sites, it is often accompanied by other pollutants that are known to cause additional harm to people's health.
That is why this legislation is so important, and that is why the Trump administration's egregious attempt to eliminate these important rules and let oil and gas companies release more methane from their drilling sites was met with such outrage and fury by citizens across this country.
And you know something?
And not just from the citizens, but from the biggest oil and gas companies in the country, including ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, and more, and also from smaller producers around the country. These are the companies that stand to benefit most from the rollback of the methane rules, and even these are against it.
So when I hear the ranking member talking about how we are going to be on the backs of oil and gas companies, the very companies she is talking about support this legislation today.
I just want to read a few of the names of the companies, large and small, that support the rollback of the Trump administration's methane rule and the reinstatement of the Obama-era rule:
BP America; Shell U.S.; Equinor North America; Total USA; ExxonMobil; Jonah Energy; Pioneer Natural Resources; EQT Corporation; Interstate Natural Gas Association of America; Cheniere; DTE Energy; Equitrans Midstream Corporation; Occidental Petroleum; Devon Energy; Edison Electric Institute, which is a consortium of groups; Center for Liquefied Natural Gas; Austin Energy; Calpine Corporation; Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Tenaska, Inc.; and others have all submitted comments, and the comments they have submitted are in support of S.J. Res. 14 and the rollback of the Trump administration's egregious rule.
So when my colleagues on the other side say this is going to hurt oil and gas, the very companies they are talking about support this because the Trump administration's rule was so extreme and egregious.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a summary of the quotes in support of this legislation from these companies, a letter from BP, a letter from Occidental, and a letter from Equinor. Energy Companies Support Federal Methane Regulations
Many oil and gas companies publicly support direct federal regulation of methane because methane pollution hurts public health, the planet, and the industry itself. These companies also support restoring the common-sense requirements to control methane pollution that were eliminated and undermined at the end of 2020.
Methane regulations work to reduce methane emissions and waste from oil and gas operations. To meet the requirements, companies use cost-effective tools and off-the-shelf technologies to find and plug methane leaks and reduce venting and flaring. But the previous administration revoked all federal air pollution limits for oil and gas transmission and storage facilities and created legal confusion that undermines further progress in cutting methane pollution. Here's what industry is saying about closing these loopholes and directly regulating methane:
BP America: ``Direct federal regulation of methane is key to preventing leaks throughout industry and protecting the environment--and gets us closer to #netzero. That's why we support the Congressional Review Act methane resolution.''
Shell US: ``Sound policy surrounding natural gas is critical to its role in the energy transition. We need to restore the direct federal regulation of #methane emissions-- and we urge Congress to approve the methane resolution under the Congressional Review Act.''
Equinor North America: ``Ensuring that natural gas continues to provide climate benefits means reducing emissions from its production. We support the methane resolution under the Congressional Review Act. Direct federal methane regulation is an important step on the pathway to net zero.''
Total USA: ``Curbing methane emissions with bold policies is imperative to get to #NetZero2050. We welcome direct federal regulation of #methane emissions and support resolution via the Congressional Review Act #cutmethane.''
ExxonMobil: ``Last year we [ExxonMobil] announced our support for the direct regulation of methane emissions for new and existing oil and gas facilities. That hasn't changed.''
Jonah Energy: ``Jonah Energy believes in common sense federal regulation of methane emissions to reduce impacts and achieve climate goals. We support Congressional Review Act measure S.J. Res. 14 (https:/lnkd.in/ebHbACW) that will reverse prior rulemaking and allow reasonable federal oversight of methane. In fact, we opposed the rollback by the last administration. Achieving climate goals is important in our backyard, and across the nation. Reasonable federal regulations of methane emissions provide consistency and certainty covering all sectors of natural gas development and promote public confidence our national energy sources.
Pioneer Natural Resources: Pioneer has long supported federal regulation of methane if those regulations encourage innovation and operational flexibility. Clear rules would provide certainty for operators and strong environmental benefits. We support use of the CRA to reinstate regulation of methane''
EQT Corporation: EQT Corporation supports congressional resolutions that would reinstate a rule imposing a federal standard on methane. Company believes the ``responsible development of natural gas will help meet future global energy demand as we address climate change together''.
Interstate Natural Gas Association of America:- ``We support federal methane standards . . . our members have a long history of minimizing methane emissions from their operation. A stable regulatory framework will allow the industry to invest in the critical infrastructure necessary to reduce emissions and meet increasing demand for cleaner and more affordable energy.
Cheniere: To maximize the climate benefits of natural gas, we recognize the imperative to minimize #methane emissions across the natural gas value chain. We support effective policies and regulations that reduce methane emissions, including the current Congressional Review Act effort to restore federal regulation of methane emissions. Cheniere will continue to collaborate with industry, academia and the scientific community to deliver cost-effective solutions that reduce methane emissions from the natural gas sector. We also will continue to push for increased transparency regarding methane emissions reporting and data, as well as efforts that create a level playing field with all operators domestically and internationally.
DTE Energy: Strong, sensible methane regulations at the federal and state level give our industry the foundation on which to go even further through these voluntary initiatives. Providing a proper regulatory framework ensures industry's ability to continue to make important progress reducing methane emissions. [Public Comment 11/25/2019]
Equitrans Midstream Corporation: ``We must continue to push our industry forward in a meaningful way in order to effectuate real mitigation of climate change impacts, and we support approval of the methane resolution under the Congressional Review Act,'' said Diana Charletta, president and chief operating officer of Equitrans Midstream.
Occidental Petroleum: ``We support the direct regulation of methane . . . because it is very potent and we need to have regulations in place to ensure that we have adequate controls throughout the industry.''
Devon Energy: We believe a meaningful reduction in methane emissions is essential to managing the risks of climate change. While the Congressional Review Act is an extraordinary legislative tool that should be used judiciously and with caution, we support the ongoing effort in Congress to chart a path toward a durable framework for regulating methane at the federal level that encourages innovation and operational flexibility.
Edison Electric Institute: EEi supports Congress using the Congressional Review Act to enable EPA to develop strong and cost-effective federal regulations on methane emissions throughout the natural gas supply chain for new and existing sources.
Center for Liquified Natural Gas: The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG) and its members support the proposed resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) and the reinstatement of regulations of methane emissions from the natural gas sector.
Austin Energy, Calpine Corporation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Tenaska Inc, and Others (Joint Comments): ``EPA should continue to directly regulate methane from new sources in the oil and natural gas source category . . . the importance of controlling these emissions is clear when considering that the oil and natural gas source category is the largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions in the US, contributing 31 percent of US methane emissions in 2017, according to EPA's Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2017 (published in 2019).'' ____ BP America, Inc., Washington, DC, June 10, 2021. Hon. Frank Pallone, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member McMorris Rodgers: bp's ambition is to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner and to help the world get there too. This includes advocating for policies that support net zero.
bp supports the direct federal regulation of methane for new and existing sources across the value chain. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a warming potential 80 times greater than carbon dioxide over the first 20 years in the atmosphere. We believe regulation is needed to ensure all companies are prioritizing methane emissions reductions. This is why bp supports the Congressional Review Act resolution on methane.
We appreciate the leadership of Representative DeGette and others who recognize that regulating methane is good for the environment, business, and for US energy security. Further, we believe regulation can help preserve the role for natural gas in a low carbon future.
bp is in action to reduce methane emissions from our operations. We aim for zero routine flaring in our US onshore operations by 2025 and have recently completed construction of a $300 million electrified, central processing facility in the Permian Basin in Texas to enable emissions reductions. Additionally, we aim to install methane measurement at all our existing major oil and gas processing sites by 2023, publish the data, and then drive a 50% reduction in the methane intensity of our operations.
This is a critical decade for climate action. We appreciate the leadership of Representative DeGette and the work of this committee to advance this issue in Congress.
I, or a member of my team, will be happy to meet with you or your staff to talk more about bp's ambition and our efforts to minimize methane. Sincerely, Mary Streett, Senior Vice President, Americas, Communications & Advocacy. ____ Occidantal, Houston, TX, June 10, 2021.
Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to provide our views on H.J Res. 34. The demand for energy and products that rely upon oil and natural gas will continue to rise globally, and we take seriously the charge to provide for those needs while approaching Net-Zero. Occidental was the first U.S. oil and gas company to establish comprehensive net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goals, with a pathway to Net-Zero before 2040 for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, and an ambition to achieve Net-Zero for Scope 3 emissions before 2050. Your efforts to evaluate and advance legislation to address climate change are critical to helping companies like Occidental achieve these objectives.
Occidental supports the data-driven, direct regulation of methane which is why we support H.J. Res 34. Earlier this year, President Biden directed EPA to draft new methane regulations for both new and existing sources and we are working with the Administration on those efforts. This legislation will clarify EPA's authority to regulate methane and allow EPA additional flexibility to write a thorough rule. Because it has access to the most comprehensive emissions data via GHG reporting program and other means, we strongly believe that EPA should lead the effort to regulate methane. In their rulemaking process, EPA should work with external stakeholders to craft public policy that achieves methane emissions reductions, incentivizes early action, and supports flexibility and innovation. We look forward to sharing data and best practice information about our operations with EPA to assist in the creation of strong and effective regulations.
Occidental thanks Representatives DeGette, Lamb, and Peters for their leadership on this important legislation and we look forward to additional opportunities to collaborate on ways to approach Net-Zero. Sincerely, Vicki Hollub, President and Chief Executive Officer, Occidental. ____ Equinor US, April 9, 2021. Hon. Tom Carper, Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Washington, DC. Hon. Shelley Moore Capito, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Washington, DC. Hon. Frank Pallone, Chairman, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC. Hon. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Ranking Member, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, Chairman Pallone, and Ranking Member Rodgers: Equinor US encourages members of both the Senate and House to support a proposed resolution of disapproval, under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), to rescind the recent rule ``Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources Review'' and largely reinstate the Obama-era regulations of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.
In 2019, we submitted comments to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opposing the then proposed rule and outlined our view that regulation of methane is a necessary part of a comprehensive, economy-wide policy program to address global climate change.
In those comments, Equinor US noted that ``it is important to have a federal regulatory `floor' that provides a consistent, flexible, predictable, and comprehensive policy framework for the sector.'' We stand by this policy approach and believe that a return to the 2012 and 2016 standards, until a more workable regulation or pieces of legislation, considering modern technological developments, can be passed and/or implemented.
Equinor US appreciates the strong leadership of many in Congress who recognize the role of responsibly-produced natural gas in the energy transition and we believe that the deployment of the Congressional Review Act to undo the 2020 rule is appropriate and in line with our own net-zero ambitions. Sincerely, Chris L. Golden, Senior Vice President, Global Unconventionals, Equinor US.
I will just say that if we don't act now and if we let this rule stand, it is going to increase methane emissions in this country by nearly 1.6 tons by 2025. It will also result in a release of an additional 1.8 million tons of volatile organic compounds and more than 16,000 tons of hazardous air pollutants right into the air that we breathe.
If we are going to get serious about addressing the climate crisis, let's get serious about cutting our methane emissions. If we are going to get serious about protecting the public's health, let's pass this legislation today.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this important bill that has widespread support, not just from environmentalists, not just from the public, but from the oil industry itself.
Let's do what the people have elected us to do. Let's put their health and safety, and the health and safety of our planet, above all else. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S.J. Res. 14.
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