The White House announced plans Friday to impose more regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions, including tighter rules on the coal and natural gas industries.
Administration officials said the Department of Interior will issue a notice next month of new rules for a program for the capture and sale, or disposal of waste mine methane, on lands leased by the federal government.
Also this spring, the EPA will begin to examine “how best to pursue further methane reductions” from oil and gas production on public lands. If EPA decides to develop additional regulations, it will complete those regulations by the end of 2016, the White House said.
In addition, the EPA will propose new standards this summer for reducing methane emissions from new landfills.
The steps, which administration officials had revealed in recent weeks, are part of President Obama’s climate action plan. Estimates of how much methane leaks into the atmosphere vary widely.
“The strategy builds on progress to date and takes steps to further cut methane emissions from landfills, coal mining, and agriculture, and oil and gas systems through cost-effective voluntary actions and common-sense standards,” the White House said.
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• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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