Senate raises the methane leaf fee in a blessing to the oil and gas industry

The Senate voted on Thursday with the abolition of a new US fee for the warming of climate warming of methane emissions of oil and gas producers and sent the measure to the white house for the signature of President Donald Trump.

The cancellation that a blessing for oil and gas producers would be, but giving up an incentive to control a strong greenhouse gas, comes that congress republicans begin to attribute a powerful legislative tool for the institution of regulations for the administration of bidges.

The White House refused to express Trump's intentions to the measure, although he criticized the regulations for the administration of bidges administration as too stressful in the industry.

This year, the US -Energie industry is 560 million US dollars for the continued methane leaks, which cause forecasts for the environmental protection authority, although the amount is predicted that the companies can remedy off and adapt production processes. Critics say that the total costs for compliance with the regulation would probably be much higher.

The fee, which was prescribed by President Joe Biden in the Signature Climate Law, began at $ 900 per ton for the emissions of methane, which went beyond a state threshold.

Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a powerful greenhouse gas that in the first 25 years after its release in the atmosphere, has about 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. The cutting of the emissions of the pollutant, which looks out of pipes, fountains, compressor stations and other oil field equipment, is one of the most immediate steps that can be taken directly to slow down the rate of climate change.

The rule that was completed by the EPA in November was fired by the Republicans and opponents in the oil and gas industry, which argued that the fee for leaks loaded too much load for the producers.

The Senate voted 52 to 47 to cancel the rule. The house adopted a cancellation resolution on Wednesday.

A separate EPA and indoor department regulations that are determined by the tribe of methane leaks made from oil and gas operation remain even if the methane fee is canceled.

The Republicans are aimed at regulations by the Congress Review Act, which enables legislators to lift rules of the bid era that have been completed in the last months of its presidency. The law allows legislators up to 60 working days in the congress, according to which a regulation was passed to overthrow the rule using an accelerated procedure that circumstances the Filibuster rule of the Senate, which normally needs 60 votes for overcoming.

According to the coalition, the Republicans have introduced around 40 resolutions for reasonable protective measures, an alliance of consumer, labor and public interest groups, which are aimed at the rules of the bid era. The rules concluded in August or later are subject to the cancellation of the CRA with a deadline for the Republicans, which, according to the group based in Washington, can act in mid -May.

Among them includes a measure that protrudes the efficiency standards for the efficiency of the energy department for certain gas-fired hot water. This measure passed the Senate on Tuesday.

Further rules for the cancellation are EPA regulations for lead in drinking water, rules of the financial department in connection with bank fusions and regulations for the Internal Revenue Service regulations related to the sale of digital assets.

“It is a dark law, but it is also incredibly powerful,” said Rachel Weintraub, managing director of the coalition for reasonable protective measures. “It definitely enables you to lift critical rules that cover everything very quickly.”

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