The Bureau of Land Management published its overhaul of methane regulations for public lands drilling Wednesday, ahead of a deadline that could have made the rule vulnerable to Republican attacks.
The final rule was released by the Interior Department in late March but had not been published in the Federal Register until Wednesday. The rule’s publication kicks off a 60-day period before some of the provisions — which will charge royalties on wasted gas and aim to cut the amount of gas released or burned off — become effective in the federal oil patch. Others are phased in over time.
BLM’s rule — a reworking of Obama-era methane regulations that were stymied by a federal judge — is one of several efforts by the Biden administration to quell leaks and releases of methane in the oil and gas sector. EPA has also written new rules to curb methane pollution from the nation’s oil and gas activities, and EPA released a draft rule in January to implement a methane fee created by 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act.
The White House and federal agencies are under pressure to finish pending regulations by the end of April to avoid potential repeal under the Congressional Review Act next year.
