Leaking Methane: Natural Gas, Climate Change, and Uncertainty
Recent studies suggest natural gas is significantly more carbon-intensive than previously realized, with methane having at least 25 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide. If the United States is to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals, it must curtail methane leakage between 30% and 90%, and leakage is anticipated to cost producers $2 billion each year in lost product. Absent regulations from the federal government and many states, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector are developing innovative solutions.
Held v. Montana
The Montana Supreme Court affirmed a trial court ruling that declared the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) violated youths' state constitutional right to a "clean and healthful environment." The youths argued a provision of MEPA that precluded analysis of greenhouse gas emissions in EAs and E...
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League v. Regan
A district court granted in part environmental groups' motion for summary judgment in a CAA citizen suit concerning EPA's duty to update emissions standards for hazardous waste combustors. The groups sought declaratory judgment stating that EPA failed to comply with its obligations and injunctive re...
Texas v. United States Environmental Protection Agency
The Fifth Circuit granted EPA's motion to vacate its disapprovals of portions of regional haze SIPs submitted by Texas and Oklahoma and the issuance of federal implementation plans (FIPs) establishing a long-term strategy and/or reasonable progress goals for the states. EPA argued that because key d...