Bill addresses failure of oil, gas companies to prevent methane leaks

The Methane Super-Emitter Strategy Act of 2022 was introduced in the U.S. House last week.

Chairman Don Beyer of Virginia is the lead sponsors of the bill, which addresses the finding of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology’s investigation into oil and gas sector methane leaks and a June 8, 2022 hearing on the topic. The findings concluded, according to a press release, that oil and gas companies are not addressing super-emitting leaks.

Reps. Scotts Peters and Alan Lowenthal of California and Diana DeGette of Colorado are cosponsors of the legislation.

“Methane is an insidious and potent greenhouse gas that scientists say is responsible for approximately 30 percent of global warming since the Industrial Revolution,” Beyer said in the press release. “Large, ‘super-emitting’ leaks from oil and gas operations can release enormous levels of methane into the atmosphere, and very quickly. We must approach the growing threat of methane emissions with every tool we have. This bill will build a collaborative approach and leverage the capabilities of our premiere federal science agencies to create a strong strategy to better observe and detect these dangerous super-emitters. We cannot address what we cannot measure, and this bill will help to solve that. The Act’s research strategy will give us a path forward on addressing super-emitter contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and the climate crisis.”