White House Takes Dramatic Steps To Limit Methane Emissions In Major Climate Policy

White House Takes Dramatic Steps To Limit Methane Emissions In Major Climate Policy

The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled a set of sweeping policies to rein in methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas far stronger than carbon dioxide, in what will be one of the nation’s most dramatic steps yet to limit the runaway effects of climate change.

Methane is the second most common greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, and is emitted by oil and gas drilling, agriculture and landfills. It is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after it’s released, and while it dissipates more quickly, it can dramatically warm the planet as it lingers in the atmosphere.

The policies unveiled Tuesday will include the nation’s first effort to limit methane emissions from existing oil and gas wells, the largest single source of the greenhouse gas in the nation. There are about a million such wells in the U.S. The rules would also include regular and stringent leak monitoring and require the capture of natural gas released during oil drilling that often escapes into the atmosphere, The Washington Post reported.