A federal judge has blocked in five states the implementation of a Biden administration rule that aims to cut methane emissions and conserve natural gas produced on federal lands.
Former President Trump appointee Judge Daniel Traynor granted the request from five states to temporarily block the rule from taking effect while their case against it plays out.
The rule in question requires companies that drill for oil and gas on public lands to come up with a plan to reduce wasted gas and cut down on the release or burning of excess gas.
It also makes companies implement programs to repair and detect methane leaks.
Oil and gas can be co-occurring, and sometimes oil companies will release or burn off some of the gas — which tends to be less valuable than oil — that they produce.
The main component of gas is methane, which is between 27 times and 30 times as potent as carbon dioxide when it comes to heating up the planet over a 100-year period.
In their request for the rule to be blocked, North Dakota, Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah argued that the rule is an overreach, contending that regulating emissions and energy issues should be left to the states.
In his ruling for the North Dakota district court, Traynor sided with the states, calling the rule a “significant impingement” on their rights.
Interior Department spokesperson Giovanni Rocco said the department was reviewing the decision but did not provide further comment.
When the rule was issued, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland described it as an effort to use “modern technology and best practices to reduce natural gas waste.”
The rule mainly applied in the 10 states that are collectively responsible for 99 percent of oil produced on federal lands: Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
