U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Michael Bennett (D-CO) released a joint statement last week calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to track emissions of methane gas, which contributes to climate change.
In the letter, the senators express their concern about climate change, and state that incorporating more top-down data — and data from advanced measurement technologies — would provide a better picture of how much methane is truly being emitted.
The EPA is currently developing regulations aimed at cutting methane pollution in the oil and gas sectors, and by collecting this data, the EPA can have a more accurate picture of the levels of emissions where they’re coming from.
Better detection and targeting of certain areas would allow the EPA to better regulate heavy polluters, state the senators.
Colorado has been leading the charge to cut methane emissions, with the state Legislature back in 2021 setting the goals of cutting oil and gas pollution by 36% by 2025 and by 60% by 2030.
The collection of pollution information is done through the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), and it generates information from across the United States.
