The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is in the early stages of work to develop a State Implementation Plan to ensure Texas is in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Section 111 methane rule, which was finalized in December 2023. They have announced stakeholder meetings for people interested in reducing methane emissions in Texas. This is a great opportunity to get involved in development of a plan to reduce air pollution in Texas and to address climate change. Details about how to engage at the stakeholder meetings is at the end of this post, but first a bit of background on the methane rule.
The Section 111 methane rule was announced by the US delegation at COP28. The rule requires operators to detect and plug methane leaks at well heads and compressors and ends the practice of routine flaring, where oil and gas operators burn excess methane captured during operations. Methane leaks from human activity have caused about 30% of currently observed global warming.
According to the EPA, “The rules would prevent an estimated 58 million tons of methane from reaching the atmosphere between 2024 and 2038 – nearly the equivalent of all the carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector in the year 2021, EPA added.”
The announcement of the methane rule was made as evidence of the United States’s commitment to follow through on the Global Methane Pledge, a commitment to cut methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030 that was signed by one-hundred-fifty nations, including the US.
Methane mitigation has the potential to make a big difference in the fight against climate change. Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but it breaks down faster in the atmosphere. Cutting methane emissions means a big impact on climate change in the short term.
Cutting methane emissions has an immediate effect on air quality too. Scientists estimate that methane emissions lead to $7.4 million in excess cost from hospital visits, additional healthcare needs, lost productivity, and missed school. Air pollution from methane causes increases in asthma issues for children and other respiratory problems for older adults.
After the announcement of the rule, the Texas Railroad Commission directed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to sue the EPA, arguing that the rule placed undue burden on oil and gas operators.
Methane mitigation advocates argue that the technology needed to cut methane leaks from oil and gas operations is readily available. There is even federal financing available to help operators improve their equipment.
Now that the rule is in the federal register, states have two years to develop State Implementation Plans, or SIPs. SIPs must be approved by the EPA. States whose SIPs are not deemed sufficient to reduce emissions to the necessary level risk being subject to a Federal Implementation Plan, or FIP, developed by the EPA.
Texas has the resources to develop a robust SIP that will be in compliance with the letter and the spirit of the Section 111 methane rule. And reducing methane emissions, along with the climate impacts and air pollution that come from methane emissions, is in our best interest.
Texas is vulnerable to every kind of climate-related weather hazard from hurricanes to blizzards and from drought to extreme precipitation. Weather and climate-related disasters cost billions of dollars, threaten the stability of our electrical grid, and cause significant disruption to the lives of Texans. To make Texas an attractive state for business investment and new residents into the future, we should all be concerned about the climate impacts caused by methane emissions.
The TCEQ has announced three opportunities to voice your opinion as they begin to work on our State Implementation Plan. These stakeholder meetings will be held at the following times and locations:
Austin: Nov. 6, 2024 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm; TCEQ – Austin (12100 Park 35 Circle Building A, Room 173)
Arlington: Nov. 14, 2024 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Arlington City Council Chambers (101 W. Abram Street, Arlington, TX 76004-3231)
Midland: Nov. 20, 2024 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Location TBA; check TCEQ’s rulemaking website for updates.
You can also participate virtually from anywhere in the state during the Austin meeting. If commenting virtually, register by Mon., Nov. 4 by emailing rules@tceq.texas.gov and provide your name, affiliation (that is, if you represent yourself or an organization), your email address, and your phone number.