Proposals target methane emissions, carbon pollutions
President Barack Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are taking action on climate change by proposing federal limits on methane emissions.
The proposal aims to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40% to 45% over the next decade (from 2012 levels) by requiring energy companies to find and repair leaks, capture natural gas during the completion of hydraulically fractured wells, and limit emissions from pneumatic pumps and several other types of equipment.
Methane, according to the EPA, is the key constituent of natural gas and has 25 times the effect on global warming than carbon dioxide.
The American Petroleum Institute (API), a national trade association representing the oil and gas companies, said the proposal is unnecessary.
“The oil and gas industry is leading the charge in reducing methane,” said Jack Gerard, president and CEO of API, based in
Washington, D.C., in a release. “The last thing we need is more duplicative and costly regulation that could increase the cost of energy for Americans.”
The methane emissions proposal falls in line with the Obama administration’s previously announced Clean Power Plan, which sets goals for carbon-pollution reduction for power plants and requires states to implement plans to meet these goals. States have until September 2016 to submit plans but must comply by 2022.
When the Clean Power Plan is fully in place in 2030, carbon pollution from the power sector will be 32% below 2005 levels, according to the EPA.
Opponents, however, argue the plan will hurt coal power plants, which provide more than a third of the U.S. electric supply.
Marijuana movement reaches The Buckeye State
On Nov. 3, Ohio voters will decide whether to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use after the legalization group ResponsibleOhio collected enough signatures to get the measure on the general-election ballot. The group gathered 320,267 petition signatures, exceeding the ballot requirement by nearly 15,000.
The proposal would establish a network of 10 authorized growing locations around Ohio and allow adults 21 and older to buy marijuana. If approved, Ohio would become the fifth state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Recreational marijuana is already legal in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, as well as Washington, D.C., while medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and D.C.
Indicators
- 40 cents The Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association (MPCA) has proposed two petitions to raise Missouri’s cigarette tax to 40 cents. Meanwhile, the education group Raise Your Hand for Kids is petitioning to raise the tax to 67 cents a pack. MPCA’s increase would be phased in between 2017 and 2021 and could raise more than $800 million for the state’s general revenue fund or transportation needs in the first decade, according to news reports. At 17 cents per pack, Missouri’s cigarette tax is the lowest in the nation.
- 1 cent The Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association (MPCA) has proposed two petitions to raise Missouri’s cigarette tax to 40 cents. Meanwhile, the education group Raise Your Hand for Kids is petitioning to raise the tax to 67 cents a pack. MPCA’s increase would be phased in between 2017 and 2021 and could raise more than $800 million for the state’s general revenue fund or transportation needs in the first decade, according to news reports. At 17 cents per pack, Missouri’s cigarette tax is the lowest in the nation.
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