Rep. Rob Bishop says a new proposal to slash methane emissions from oil and gas production shows that the Obama administration prefers to indulge “the fantasies of the environmental Left” rather than invest in American energy security.
Reports FOX News:
Republican lawmakers and energy groups were swift in their condemnation of the new proposals, with many arguing methane emissions have been falling in recent years.
“The EPA’s plan to limit emissions flies in the face of technological reality. The truth is that while the oil and natural gas industry has greatly increased production on state and private lands, methane emissions have actually fallen,” House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said in a statement. “The Obama Administration continues to prioritize the fantasies of the environmental Left over American energy security and economic growth.”
“The oil and gas industry is leading the charge in reducing methane,” American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard said. “The last thing we need is more duplicative and costly regulation that could increase the cost of energy for Americans.”
Others expressed doubt about handing the EPA more power in the light of the recent toxic Colorado river spill, caused by EPA workers.
“If recent events are any indicator, giving more power to EPA doesn’t necessarily yield positive results. Just ask the citizens who live near and depend on the Animas River,” Tom Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research, said in a statement.
