SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced June 29 that he is taking action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its alleged failure to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and natural gas operations.
Methane traps heat better than carbon dioxide and most methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector come from existing equipment.
"When the science and the law are clear, it's not time to stall. It's our duty to move forward," Becerra said. "States are leading the way – requiring the oil and natural gas industry to do more to reduce this potent greenhouse gas pollutant – and it's past time for the EPA to step up to the plate. If it takes a lawsuit to get the EPA to fulfill its obligations, then that's what we'll do."
The states that joined Becerra in sending the intent to sue letter are Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state, and the District of Columbia. The California Air Resources Board and the city of Chicago also joined this coalition.