On May 10 the U.S. Senate voted 51 to 49 to retain the Bureau of Land Management’s “methane rule.”
All Democrats voted to retain the rule along with Republican Senators McCain, Lindsey, and Collins.
Thanks to Senator Michael Bennet for his supporting vote. Senator Cory Gardner voted to repeal this rule from the Obama administration, requiring oil and gas companies to identify and fix leaks and upgrade well sites on federal and tribal lands with modern technology.
Methane from natural gas wells contributes significantly to the methane cloud that hangs over the Four Corners area – identified by NASA as the largest methane cloud in North America. Methane traps warmth within the atmosphere 30 times greater than does carbon dioxide, according to National Public Radio.
Senator Gardner refused to share his planned vote when asked by constituents. Thousands of Coloradans flooded his office with calls, faxes, emails, and tweets urging him to vote to retain the methane rule. He has often stated that Colorado already has regulations that address the problem.
This rule, applied to federal and tribal lands, would increase royalties to the U.S. government and to tribes, and would reduce toxic emissions in those areas – not just in Colorado.
About $330 million of natural gas is wasted each year from leaks and intentional flaring on public lands. You have to wonder…. Senator Gardner, where do your loyalties truly rest – with your Colorado constituents and all Americans, or with the oil and gas industry that contributed massive amounts of money to your campaign?
Jane C. Anderson
Dolores