Biden Cracks Down on Methane Leaks From Pipes in Finalized Rules

(Bloomberg) -- The Biden administration has finalized new rules to crack down on leaks of methane from pipelines, mandating that companies find and repair leaks of the potent global warming greenhouse gas. 

The requirements, which apply to some 2.8 million miles of gas pipelines and other facilities, will eliminate some 500,000 metric tons of methane emissions and save up to $1.5 billion, according to Transportation Department, which made the rules public Friday. 

But the late timing — coming just three days before President Joe Biden leaves office — could make it more vulnerable to repeal or revision under President-elect Donald Trump. Trump, like his predecessors, is expected to order a halt to all pending federal regulations after he’s inaugurated on Monday, with likely impacts for measures such as this one that haven’t yet been published in the Federal Register, a US repository for government and executive actions.

Oil and gas operations are the largest industrial source of emissions from methane, an especially potent greenhouse gas that’s at least 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the atmosphere during the first two decades after its release. 

The new Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration rules are an update to decades -old regulations and require advanced leak detection programs, including through increased surveys and continuous monitoring systems, along with revising reporting requirements to increase the minimal threshold.

“It will harness the tremendous new potential we are seeing from mobile leak detection systems, unmanned aerial systems, and other innovative technologies to mitigate this threat to people and the environment—keeping valuable natural gas in pipelines so they arrive safely for use in homes and businesses, and ensuring America is the global leader in safely transporting methane,” said Tristan Brown, the administration’s deputy administrator at the agency. 

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