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Evangelical Environmental Network: Congress Repeals Cost-Effective Oil & Gas Methane Pollution Reduction Program Safeguarding Children's Health

On February 27, the Congress voted to rescind a market-based methane pollution fee designed to incentivize large oil and gas operations to install readily-available and cost-effective innovations to plug natural gas leaks and end unnecessary practices that waste our natural resources and emit health-harming pollution.

In response, EEN President & CEO Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman issued the following statement:

"As pro-life Christians, we are dismayed by House actions today repealing a cost-effective, market-based solution to defend our children from dangerous methane emissions and associated toxic pollution.

“We thank the bipartisan showing of representatives, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R, PA-1), who voted for our children’s health and against this short-sighted rollback of a critical health safeguard.

"At least 3.2 million children across America live within the half-mile health threat radius of active oil and gas production, where unplugged leaks and other wasteful practices expose them and their families to methane and associated toxic pollutants, which medical research links to cancer, birth defects of the brain and spine, poor birth outcomes, and other health harms.

“The methane waste emissions fee is a powerful, market-based tool that would help advance the Trump Administration's goals to make America’s air and energy the cleanest in the world and also help reclaim some of the estimated $1 billion in lost commercial value due to preventable gas leaks.

“In the midst of our national conversation about cutting waste and keeping household costs low, eliminating the waste emissions fee that incentivizes good stewardship of our precious natural gas resources is a step in the wrong direction."

The York County-based, national Evangelical Environmental Network is a ministry whose mission is to inspire, equip, educate, and mobilize evangelical Christians to love God and others by rediscovering and reclaiming the Biblical mandate to care for creation and working toward a stable climate and a healthy, pollution-free world.

Resource Links:

-- Reuters: Congress Kills Biden Era Methane Fee On Oil, Gas Producers

-- Bloomberg: US House Votes To Repeal Methane Fee On Oil, Gas Producers, Ends Incentive To Control Leaks

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Feb. 22 to 28 - 11 More Abandoned Shale Gas Wells; 12,600 Gallon Wastewater Spill; Failure To Comply With Shale Well Plugging Order [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Coterra Energy Spills 12,600 Gallons Of Wastewater From Shale Gas Well Pad In Bridgewater Twp., Susquehanna County [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP Issues Violations For Abandoning 11 More Shale Gas Wells; Shale Gas Well Owner Fails To Comply With Plugging Order [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 1 [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Air Quality Permit For Nova Energy LLC Cryptocurrency Data Center In Venango County [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 66 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 1 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Delaware Currents: Federal Judge Dismisses Wayne County Land & Mineral Group Lawsuit Against Delaware River Basin Commission Over Fracking Ban [PaEN]