The clock is ticking. President-elect Donald Trump has committed to nullify the progress President Obama has made to protect our health and fight climate change. That could include the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) rules to reduce methane pollution.
Every day, an “invisible oil spill” is spewing pollution into our air over our communities and public lands in the form of methane. Methane is a dangerous greenhouse gas over 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term. If the BLM published the final rule by Nov. 18, we can make it harder for the new administration to roll back the commonsense safeguard.
So much methane has leaked from 25 oil and gas sources in the San Juan Basin, there’s a hot spot the size of Delaware hovering over the Four Corners region. Earlier this year, the BLM released its draft methane waste rule, which would stop oil and gas companies from wasting $330 million in public resources every year.
Our communities and planet can’t wait any longer. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell needs to hear from you. We need to put a stop to methane pollution. But every month we wait, the invisible oil spill continues and we risk the health of our families and communities.
Secretary Jewell: it’s time to finalize the methane waste rule so that we can reduce the waste, protect American communities and our planet, and fulfill our international commitments to fight climate change.