Another back-to-back CRS InFocus report by Richard K. Lattanzio (updated 11 December 2020):'Methane Emissions: A Primer'
I have pasted almost half the report here - mainly to get the long final section on issues for Congress.
Download CRS_InFocus_Methane_Emissions_Primer_11Dec2020
Methane: The Chemical
Methane is the world’s simplest hydrocarbon, with a chemical formula CH4 (one atom of carbon and four atoms of hydrogen). It is gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions and is commonly produced through the decomposition of organic materials in the absence of oxygen. It is released into the atmosphere by natural sources such as wetlands, oceans, sediments, termites, volcanoes, and wildfires as well as human activities such as oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and the raising of livestock.Methane: Fuel and Chemical Feedstock
Methane is the primary component of natural gas. When extracted from geologic formations or captured by other means, it can be used as either a fuel or as a feedstock for the chemical industry.When used as a fuel, methane has many advantages over other hydrocarbons (e.g., coal and oil). Methane is more versatile: It can heat homes, fuel stoves, run vehicles, fire power plants, and be exported, either as a gas or liquefied, to support the energy needs of U.S. trading partners. Methane is cleaner-burning: It emits, on average, about half as much carbon dioxide (CO2) as coal and one-quarter less than oil, per unit of energy, when consumed in a typical electric utility plant. Further, its combustion emits no mercury (a persistent, bio-accumulative neurotoxin), virtually no particulate matter or sulfur dioxide (SO2), and less nitrogen oxides, per unit of energy, than either coal or oil. Recent expansion of natural gas production—primarily as a result of improved technologies (e.g., hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling) used on unconventional resources (e.g., shale, tight sands, and coalbed methane)— has made methane an increasingly significant component in the energy supply and security of the United States.
When used as a chemical feedstock, methane is a manufacturing component for a wide variety of household and industrial products including plastic, fertilizer, antifreeze, and fabrics. Abundant and economical supplies of methane may arguably serve to reinvigorate the U.S. petrochemical sector, bringing manufacturing industries back on shore and aiding in the creation of domestic jobs and economic development.
For these reasons, many have advocated for the increased production and use of methane (via natural gas extraction or other capture technologies) and have hailed it as a potential “cost-effective bridge” to a less polluting and lower greenhouse gas-intensive economy. Many Members of Congress and recent Administrations have supported this position.
Cutting to the chase...
Issues for Congress
Through the years, the federal government has sought policies (legislative and regulatory) to control methane emissions for a variety of economic, environmental, public health, and safety reasons, including
promoting domestic energy production and security,
protecting the property rights of mineral owners
(including federal resources and associated royalties to
the American taxpayer),
assuring the operational safety of employees who work
with or near significant emission sources, and
safeguarding the general population from air pollution.
Some stakeholders raise concerns over federal controls. They argue that more stringent standards on methane emissions would not provide cost-effective health and environmental benefits. Some industries contend that they are already doing everything feasible to capture and reuse methane emissions (for economic and safety reasons). Others note that state and local authorities are better equipped to oversee and enforce emission reduction efforts.
Under President Obama, federal activities in support of methane emission reductions became a cornerstone of his “Climate Action Plan,” and the Administration promulgated several regulations to address emissions, including:
EPA standards to reduce methane emissions from new and modified activities and equipment in the oil and natural gas sector (finalized on June 3, 2016).
EPA standards to reduce methane emissions from new and existing municipal solid waste landfills (finalized on August 29, 2016).
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) standards to prevent the waste of gas (i.e., methane) through venting and flaring during oil and natural gas production on public lands (finalized on November 18, 2016).
President Trump subsequently signed Executive Order 13783 on March 28, 2017, requiring agencies to review existing regulations and “appropriately suspend, revise, or rescind those that unduly burden” domestic energy production and use. Further, the federal courts have reviewed provisions in the Obama-era standards and the Trump Administration’s revisions. As a result, the status of federal methane regulation is as follows:
EPA rescinded the 2016 methane standards for the oil and gas sector (September 14, 2020).
EPA announced it would reconsider certain aspects of the 2016 methane standards for the landfill sector (May 5, 2017). In August 2019, EPA finalized two actions related to the standards’ timing and implementation.
BLM rescinded the 2016 waste prevention standards for the oil and gas sector (September 28, 2018). A California federal district court vacated the rescission (July 15, 2020). However, a Wyoming federal district court subsequently vacated all provisions in the 2016 rule related to the loss of gas (October 8, 2020).
Enjoy!
"Science is the organized skepticism in the reliability of expert opinion." - Richard Feynman
Comments