The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent announcement on methane emission standards represents a multi-faceted opportunity for West Virginia. These new guidelines will accelerate our state’s methane mitigation industry by spurring investment, job creation and industry efficiency, as well as protect the beauty of the outdoors we hold dear.
The EPA’s new rule is expected to prevent millions of tons of methane emissions from 2024 to 2038 in the United States. More diligent inspections and repairs will be completed at natural gas well sites, to prevent leaks and minimize lost natural gas products. The agency has introduced its new “Super-Emitter†program that will be utilized to detect large gas leaks and help prevent the most substantial losses of methane.
Mountaineers will directly benefit from these changes due to the increased inspections and equipment purchases that will support our state’s growing methane mitigation industry.
For our oil and gas producers, excessive methane emissions translate to unnecessarily lost products, which results in reduced revenue. This inefficiency will soon be an issue of the past.
Additionally, a significant number of high-paying jobs will be created to fill the new demand for specialized equipment inspectors that will be needed on the local level across West Virginia. The new regulations will not only protect our air quality, but also make our natural gas industry more effective and profitable.
I encourage my fellow leaders of West Virginia to support and implement these updated standards from the EPA, as they will advance so much more than just the obvious environmental benefits.
