Washington (November 2, 2021) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Climate Change, Clean Air, and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement after the Biden administration released its proposal to cut methane emissions in the oil and gas sector. Methane has 80 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide over a 20-year time period, and emissions of this potent greenhouse gas continue to rise. Global methane emissions are at an all-time high, up nine percent from the early 2000s. The increase in methane emissions in the past two decades is mostly attributable to fossil fuel and agricultural emissions. 

“Methane emissions are a fast-acting risk to the climate and health of this planet, and we need urgent action to fight this urgent threat,” said Senator Markey. “The Environmental Protection Agency has a critical and continual role to play in ensuring that dangerous methane leaks are detected, controlled, and shut down throughout our energy system. While today’s proposal is an important step for millions of Americans who are breathing dirty air from nearby oil and gas operations, and for the billions imperiled by the climate crisis, more work is needed to prioritize frontline communities, combat emissions across scales, stop dangerous industry practices, and secure international commitment to address this pressing issue. I will continue to work in Congress to hold methane emitters financially accountable for climate pollution, increase transparency within our electricity sector, and pass legislation that will help us meet our health, justice, and climate goals.”

In April, Senator Markey wrote to President Biden urging him to include methane emissions reduction targets in the United States’ national climate commitments. Senator Markey has also introduced the Natural Gas Blowout Prevention, Oversight, and Liability Act, legislation that would regulate large-scale emissions of natural gas—both flared and uncombusted—and its central component, methane.