White House Backed Big Oil Over EPA on Finding Methane Leaks
- EPA fought to keep frequent inspections for methane leaks
- Newly released documents show White House pressed agency
This article is for subscribers only.
White House officials pushed the EPA to maximize savings for the oil industry despite the agency’s concern that weakening regulations would allow more methane to escape into the atmosphere, according to newly released documents.
The White House pressure campaign came as the Environmental Protection Agency honed a proposal to relax Obama-era requirements governing how frequently oil companies have to check for and repair leaks of methane, an intense greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere 84 times more than carbon dioxide.