New Mexico Agencies Take Big Step Toward Urgently Needed Methane Regulation

(SANTA FE, N.M.) New Mexico’s Oil Conservation Division and Environment Department today introduced proposed rules to reduce oil and gas methane emissions. State agencies set out to develop nation-leading regulations to curb emissions at the direction of Gov. Lujan Grisham’s 2019 executive order to slow climate change and reduce energy waste.

Oil and gas operators in New Mexico emit over 1 million tons of methane annually. Recent research suggests companies operating in parts of the Permian Basin release methane at three times the national rate. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas responsible for about a quarter of current global warming and is emitted alongside other contaminates that cause smog and threaten public health.

“With these proposals the Lujan Grisham administration is taking an important step toward comprehensive rules that reduce methane pollution and waste. As the Trump administration continues efforts to erase federal methane protections, the need for strong state leadership has never been more urgent. We will be reviewing the proposed regulations carefully to ensure they live up to the promise of the Lujan Grisham administration to minimize the impact of oil and gas operations on the climate and the health of New Mexico’s communities and families.”

• Jon Goldstein, Director of Regulatory & Legislative Affairs, Energy