Grijalva Blasts Proposed Repeal of Pro-Taxpayer, Pro-Health, and Pro-Environment Methane Waste Rule

Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) blasted Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke for the announcement late yesterday that the Bureau of Land Management is gutting an Obama-era rule that requires oil and gas companies operating on federal lands to reduce wasteful methane emissions from drilling. The administration’s proposed elimination of the methane rule puts the environment, economy, and public health at risk by making it easier for big corporate polluters to dirty our air, land, and water.

“Secretary Zinke is pretty much saying that it’s okay for corporate special interests to poison our children, take money out of the pockets of hardworking Americans and leave future generations with the burden of dealing with the effects of climate change, all just to help oil and gas companies get richer,” Grijalva said. “The methane rule is a commonsense, pro-taxpayer, pro-health and pro-environment regulation designed to prevent companies from wasting a valuable resource. Gutting the methane rule to appease corporate polluters is irresponsible and careless. This administration is riddled with conflicts of interest and the result is that industry gets to write whatever rules it wants.”

In May of 2017, the Senate voted against overturning the Obama administration’s methane rule. Three Senate Republicans joined all 48 members of the Democratic caucus in rejecting the resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which stopped the bill from reaching the president’s desk.

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