Methane Pollution Endangers Health, Raises Energy Costs, and Worsens Climate Risks

The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) has highlighted the dangers of methane pollution, a greenhouse gas over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, which is the primary component of natural gas. Methane emissions from the oil and gas industry are the largest industrial source of methane emissions in the United States, with leaks and deliberate releases occurring throughout the fossil fuel production process. This pollution not only drives climate change but also exacerbates asthma, respiratory, and cardiovascular conditions, and increases emergency room visits. Despite the Trump Administration's efforts to roll back methane abatement policies, experts and witnesses at the EPW forum emphasized that mitigating methane emissions is achievable and affordable, saving lives, lowering energy costs, and reducing climate risks.

Key Takeaways:

The oil and gas sector is the largest industrial source of methane emissions in the United States, releasing methane at every stage of fossil fuel production, including leaks and deliberate releases.
Methane pollution poses serious public health threats, exacerbating asthma, respiratory, and cardiovascular conditions, and increasing emergency room visits.
Reducing methane emissions can be done at no net cost, particularly in the oil and gas sector, by capturing and selling the gas as a product.
The Trump Administration's efforts to roll back methane abatement policies will waste an additional $170 million in lost natural gas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Methane super-emitters, a small number of sources, account for over half of all oil and gas sector methane emissions, and addressing these sources can be a low-hanging fruit for reducing methane emissions.
Methane mitigation can cut families' costs and create U.S. jobs, with successes already seen in oil and gas fields, pipelines, and landfills.
The U.S. has become a world leader in methane innovation, with over 80% of methane-focused startups founded in the past decade, and 268 companies developing methane monitoring or mitigation technologies.
There is a feedback loop between methane pollution and climate change, with methane emissions driving climate change, which in turn exacerbates the risks of methane pollution, creating a vicious cycle.

Statistics:

Methane is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
The oil and gas sector releases methane at every stage of fossil fuel production, including leaks and deliberate releases.
Methane pollution wastes more than $1.5 billion of otherwise-sellable natural gas each year.
Reducing methane emissions can save the U.S. economy $77 billion in total by mitigating asthma exacerbations, childhood asthma, and excess deaths.
Methane super-emitters account for over half of all oil and gas sector methane emissions.
The U.S. has 268 companies developing methane monitoring or mitigation technologies, with over 80% of methane-focused startups founded in the past decade.
The Trump Administration's delay of methane mitigation rules will waste an additional $170 million in lost natural gas.

Sources:

U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) Minority Release
Written testimony from Dr. Arvind Ravikumar, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin's Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
Written testimony from Courtney Smith, First Principal Deputy Executive Officer at the California Air Resources Board
Written testimony from Lori Ehrlich, former Massachusetts State Representative and former FEMA Region 1 Administrator
Written testimony from Dr. Sarav Arunachalam, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate of lost natural gas due to delayed methane mitigation rules
University of Texas at Austin's Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering research on methane super-emitters
California Air Resources Board research on methane mitigation and costs
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute for the Environment research on methane pollution and climate change