Trump’s EPA Puts Polluters Over the American People Again By Rolling Back Methane Rules

The decision to roll back methane rules will accelerate climate change and expose Americans to harmful ozone

Washington, DC – In the latest example of the Trump administration’s pro-polluter agenda, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will be rolling back more protections, including methane pollution standards that protect the environment and Americans’ health. The decision is yet another handout to oil and gas companies at the expense of American families. 

Trump has gutted 31 pollution protections estimated to prevent 30,000 deaths per year and save $275 billion annually. Earlier this year, Trump’s EPA repealed the endangerment finding and limits on carbon pollution for power plants, handing corporate polluters a blank check to pump toxins into our air and leaving Americans to pay the price with higher medical bills and more trips to the hospital. 

Former Senior Advisor to the EPA Administrator, Zealan Hoover issued the following statement: “The Trump administration is once again putting the interests of oil and gas companies ahead of the American people by rolling back protections that require companies to find and fix gas leaks. Leaky oil and gas operations accelerate climate change and contribute to pollution that harms our lungs and cardiovascular health. Families and communities are already paying the price for polluters’ greed, and with this rule, they’re being asked to pay even more.”

The Trump Administration has increased pollution and hurt public health across the country: 

• Trump’s EPA repealed the endangerment finding, which obligated the federal government to protect communities from harmful air pollution that can cause life-threatening illnesses, including asthma and lung cancer. 
• Trump’s EPA weakened limits on toxic “forever chemicals” (PFAS) pollution, allowing more dangerous pollutants into the air and water. PFAS have been linked to a range of health problems, including cancer. 
• Trump’s EPA delayed deadlines for toxic coal ash landfills to track and implement groundwater monitoring, allowing more harmful chemicals into the water.
• Coal ash, which is stored in sites at risk of spilling into rivers and lakes, contains chemicals such as arsenic, selenium, lead, mercury, and boron as well as other contaminants that are known to cause cancer, neurological damage, and heart problems. 
• The wide-ranging pollution protections gutted by Trump’s EPA were estimated to prevent 30,000 deaths per year and save $275 billion annually. Five of the EPA-targeted protections alone were estimated to deliver $200 billion in net benefits.
• Trump’s EPA weakened limits on gas-fired power plants’ nitrogen oxide pollution. Nitrogen oxide is a key contributor to ozone and smog that worsens health conditions such as asthma. The standards were projected to save $340 million by 2032, or $46 million annually.
• Trump’s EPA reversed more than 40 years of precedent by no longer accounting for the value of health and lives saved when setting standards for toxic air pollution.