America's Natural Gas Alliance slams EPA's proposed rule on methane emissions

America's Natural Gas Alliance, among other industry groups, recently came out against the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed new regulations to decrease the amount of methane released in oil and natural gas production.

The EPA has said that greenhouse gases such as methane emitted during natural gas production have been scientifically shown to harm people and pose a threat to the health of future generations.

That explanation doesn’t cut it for Marty Durbin, president and CEO of America's Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA).

"Since 2005, natural gas producers have cut methane emissions 38 percent, while increasing production 35 percent,” Durbin said. “This impressive record has been accomplished through existing regulations and industry innovation. With further improvements certain to continue, we believe new and additional regulations are both unnecessary and counterproductive. This rule is simply not the best way to achieve our shared goal of methane-emissions reductions.”

Durbin said he believes natural gas producers will continue reducing methane emissions even without the EPA's proposed rule.

“Not only do we have an incentive to capture methane – it is the product we sell – but our track record of efficiency improvement and innovation are what drives the environmental, economic and energy-security benefits of natural gas,” Durbin said. “A collaborative approach will bring greater reductions more quickly than new and unnecessary regulation."