Western Leaders Network statement on Congressional rollback of critical methane safeguards

Waste emissions charge is essential to cutting climate pollution, protecting communities and holding polluters accountable

“Elected officials and the communities they serve are burdened daily with the economic, health and environmental impacts of methane pollution, a powerful greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the near-term warming power of carbon dioxide. The Waste Emissions Charge is a commonsense measure to cut needless methane waste, and it only affects the oil and gas industry’s biggest polluters who fail to comply with federal standards. By repealing the rule that implements this important fee, Congress is enabling the waste of a valuable taxpayer-owned resource and failing to protect air quality and communities.”– Jessica Pace, Interim Executive Director, Western Leaders Network

Background
This week, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed companion Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions that target the Waste Emissions Charge (WEC), a measure to reduce climate-damaging methane emissions and other pollutants from the oil and gas sector. A key component of the Inflation Reduction Act-funded Methane Emissions Reduction Program, the WEC rule was finalized in 2024 and requires oil and gas companies to pay a fee if methane emissions from their facilities exceed federal standards. Reducing methane pollution is the fastest, most cost-effective way to slow the impacts of climate change, which include poor air quality, extreme temperatures and wildfire seasons, prolonged drought and the depletion of water resources, all of which place an undue burden on local, tribal, and state governments and their communities.