February 27, 2025
Washington, DC – This week, Congress passed joint resolutions under the Congressional Review Act to revoke the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Emissions Charge rule, undermining efforts to cut pollution, reduce energy waste, and protect public health.
The Waste Emissions Charge rule was mandated as a core component of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program created in the Inflation Reduction Act. This charge is a practical and cost-effective solution that incentivizes oil and gas companies to capture lost gas instead of letting it leak into the atmosphere.
This rollback will result in important lost revenue to the US Treasury, allow more unchecked pollution, and create unnecessary uncertainty in the energy industry. This drives up costs for consumers and eliminates jobs supported by methane mitigation. This shortcut action only delays the Congressionally directed and much needed reductions in methane pollution.
“Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and its release is often accompanied by harmful pollutants that threaten the health of nearby communities. Keeping the methane fee in place ensures cleaner air and water and better public health outcomes in the Midwest, particularly in places like Michigan and the Bakken region of North Dakota, where oil and gas operations are near to homes and farmland. Oil and gas companies must be held accountable – they should not get a free pass to pollute.”