American Petroleum Institute welcomes new venting, flaring rule proposal
The American Petroleum Institute (API) issued a statement welcoming the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) new proposed rule regarding methane emissions related to oil and natural gas production.
“We welcome today’s announcement by the BLM as an important step towards our shared goal of reducing emissions,” API Upstream and Industry Operations Group Director Erik Milito said. “We are supportive of smart regulation that is effectively tailored to BLM’s authority to prevent waste and conserve resources, an objective that our industry shares. We are hopeful that the new proposed rule will strengthen our nation’s energy renaissance, our economy and environmental stewardship.”
API noted in its statement that methane emissions have decreased by 16.3 percent in methane between 1990 and 2015, according to the 2017 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory report while natural gas output grew by 51.9 percent.
“Effective energy policy can bolster the achievements of industry best practices and innovations along with cost-effective state and federal efforts that are already providing strong environmental leadership,” Milito said.
