NJ Did Not Join Lawsuit Against Trump’s Methane Rule With 14 Other States

Fourteen states including New York, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Vermont, Iowa, the District of Columbia and the city of Chicago have filed lawsuits accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of failing to issue regulations for curbing emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse pollutant, from existing oil and gas operations as required under the Clean Air Act.

“This methane rule is important to protect our lungs and our communities and it is shameful that the Trump Administration is siding with polluters in repealing it. What is even more shameful is that New Jersey has not filed suit. 14 states have sued the Trump Administration over delaying the methane rule but New Jersey is not part of that lawsuit. Given the importance of this crucial methane rule, why isn’t New Jersey part of that lawsuit? We have to stand up against the EPA and stand up for clean air because what they’re doing breaks the law and hurts the environment. We are urging Attorney General Grewal to join the other fourteen states and file suit against the Trump Administration to protect the environment and public health,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

The New Jersey Sierra Club has sent a letter to Attorney General Grewal asking why New Jersey is not suing the Trump Administration over delaying an Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane rule. The rule targets accidental leaks and intentional venting of methane from drilling operations on public lands, where about 9 percent of the country’s natural gas and 5 percent of its oil were produced last fiscal year. The rules would reduce pollution 340,000 to 400,000 short tons of methane in 2025, the equivalent of reducing 7.7 – 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

“Methane is 80 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. By stopping this important rule, we are losing regulations and real reductions from methane pollution from well heads to oil and gas pipelines to transmission lines. Methane leaks cause major climate impacts, while adversely affecting public health, like causing childhood asthma attacks, other respiratory ailments, and even premature death. For a state like New Jersey that has been devastated by climate change, reducing methane is even more important to help reduce the impact of sea level rise and flooding”, said Tittel.

In December of 2017, the Bureau of Land Management, part of the Department of the Interior, suspended implementation of the rule for a year, until Jan. 17, 2019, saying it wanted to avoid compliance costs for energy companies as it revises the regulation.

“We cannot let the Trump Administration rollback important methane rules at the expense of the public health. Methane is leaked during drilling and transportation of natural gas and crude oil. In New Jersey, leakage often occurs from oil and gas pipelines, compressor stations, and pipelines in the street. These standards also sought to protect public health by curbing emissions of smog-forming volatile organic compounds and carcinogens like benzene. Natural gas pipelines are also prone to leaks and are entering through the Delaware River region, posing a serious threat to our drinking water,” said Tittel.

A coalition of nearly 20 groups, including the Sierra Club, has also filed a lawsuit to stop the delay and force the Interior Department to implement the rule in January. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco.

“We, 20 environmental groups and 14 states are suing the Trump Administration over delaying an Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane rule. We must protect our clean water, clean air, and public land. We must stand up against Trump’s environmental attacks and keep fighting to protect the planet we live on. Instead of promoting renewable and alternative energy, Trump siding with the fossil fuel industry and dirty energy. When the government breaks its oath of office and public trust, the only choice we have is to go to court to uphold the law and protect the interests of the people of the United States,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We urge Attorney General Grewal to file suit to ensure that these commonsense measures to reduce waste and air pollution remain in place.”