A federal judge temporarily halted the enforcement of a Biden-Harris administration rule in five states on Thursday designed to reduce methane emissions and minimize natural gas waste on federal lands.
The Biden-Harris administration has made it part of its climate agenda to reduce certain emissions, like methane, the primary component of natural gas.
U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from enforcing a new rule that was implemented in April in North Dakota, Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah, according to The Hill.
Traynor stated in his decision that the states are likely to prevail because “on the merits of their claim, the 2024 Rule is arbitrary and capricious” and pointed out that various aspects of the rule are “inadequately explained” and “contradictory,” the North Dakota Monitor reported.
These states argued that the federal rule, which mandates oil and gas companies to implement waste reduction plans and leak detection programs on public lands, constitutes an overreach of federal authority, infringing upon state rights.
North Dakota challenged the rule, claiming it infringed on state sovereignty and would diminish state revenue from oil and gas production, while the BLM estimated the rule could generate over $50 million in tax revenue, the North Dakota Monitor reported.
The contested rule requires operators to curtail the venting, flaring and leaking of natural gas during oil extraction processes, the outlet reported.
https://dailycaller.com/2024/09/13/north-dakota-biden-methane-emissions-gas-conservation/
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